


The Daughter's Curse

by Anna_Marie



Series: Daughter of Dionysus [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: 10 Years After the War, Adventure, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Kidnapped!Dionysus, M/M, Minor Violence, Please read, minor fluff, weird backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 09:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 83,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7308805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_Marie/pseuds/Anna_Marie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dae washes up on Camp Half-Blood, no one knew what to expect. Dionysus goes missing, weird marks appear on Dae's arm, and she gets thrown into a plot that she had no say in. Soon she has to make a decision between herself and most of demigod kind. She is the problem yet the solution; therefore cursed. Chapters get better the more you read.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Sort of Introduction

Chapter 1- A Sort-Of Introduction

Evaline’s POV

The van's breaks grind to a screeching, grinding halt in front of the dirt path that leads to home. My mother looks at me with longing before giving me a peck on the cheek.  
"Are you sure you want to do this? You know you will always have a place at home with me?" She says sadly.  
"I'm sure. I'll be okay Mom, it IS Camp Halfblood. You met Percy last summer; he'll help me if I need it," I reassure her. Mom doesn't want me to go to Camp because she knows that I'll be staying year round this time. She's afraid I'll either die or not miss her at all.  
"Yes, but what about when he leaves in August?! Who will look after you then?"  
I look her in the eyes for the first time since I told her my decision.  
"I will take care of myself."  
With that I give her one more hug, grab my luggage from the back, and start treading on the familiar dirt hill, Halfblood Hill.  
"REMEMBER TO TELL CHIRON ABOUT HOW YOU'VE BEEN FEELING SICK LATELY," she calls. I twist to slightly face her.  
"I WILL," I call back.  
When at the top of Halfblood Hill, I take in the gorgeous view. I can see all of Camp from here. Upon my gaze of Camp, I spot a big crowd of people near the Big House. Kacey Davidson, Chiron's daughter, is leading a game of Capture the Flag. I spot two of my best friend's in the crowd; Sandra Anderson and Joselyn Hunt.  
Sandra has been going to Camp since she was eight years old. She was instantly claimed as a daughter of Apollo, works at the infirmary as a Doctor- like most of our healers- and as their entertainment.  
Joselyn Hunt volunteers at the infirmary as an assistant. Being a daughter of Hades, she can sometimes sense if someone is going to die. Also because she likes helping and getting to know people. Josie has been coming to Camp since she was nine.  
They haven't noticed me yet, thankfully. I feel too sick to my stomach to start training right off the bat. And I hate Capture the Flag; it takes time away from swimming, drawing, training, and chatting with friend's, catching up on the year we spent apart.  
I don't realize I am tense until a cool ocean breeze sweeps through Camp and I breath it in. It relaxes me instantly. I take a deep breath.  
Clink clink clink  
The sound of armor pulls me out of my zen. Joselyn and Sandra are running up the hill, clad in full battle armor.  
"Hey Eva! Capture the Flag is about to start! You might want to go set your stuff down," Josie notices just how much stuff I have "Oh yeah! I almost forgot that you are staying the year!" she excitedly remarks. Sandra giggles brightly.  
"Umm, I think I'll pass on the Capture the Flag. I have to unpack plus been feeling sick to my stomach all week," I truthfully tell them.  
A conch horn sounds, signaling that the game is about to start. Josie and Sandra put on matching helmets that I, for some reason, didn't notice they were carrying. Sandra and Jose are, luckily, on the same team, Eva thought. If they weren't, Joselyn would end up with a sun burn and Sandra would have to fight some dead people.  
"Get well soon. We got to but we'll check up on you later," Sandra says.  
"Percy said he was experiencing something similar. Maybe talk to him?" Joselyn suggests. I nod at them.  
"Okay, thanks. Go kick butt," I say as a means of dismissal.  
Joselyn shadow travels, leaving Sandra and I alone at the top of the hill. Sandra shoots me a look of sympathy, takes the sword charm from her charm bracelet, and in the blink of an eye it turns into an actual sword.  
Before she runs off, Sandra says: "You might want to move, you're in battle ground."  
She sprints off into the woods.  
I hike up my bags and continue the walk to my cabin. A few people greet me with a simple 'hi' or 'hello' as I pass them. I regard them with a smile and reciprocate the greetings.  
I spot Mr. D and his son, Greg, playing an aggressive game of pinnacle. Greg slams his fist on the table whilst cursing at his father. Mr. D, in response, sips his diet Coke with a smug look on his face.  
"Holy shit; you plan on moving in Erma Melonson?" Mr. D calls.  
"It's Eva Malone, and yes. I'm staying for the summer and this year," I call back.  
"For Grapes sake!" Mr. D exclaims. He gestures to Greg "Go help the lady put her stuff away."  
At the thought of helping me, Greg scowls and curses at his father some more. He stomps of, muttering something about needing a woman to boss around. I stand with all my luggage, shocked at what I just witnessed.  
"Don't worry about Gordan. He's never been the same since the accident," Mr. D brushes it off.  
"I know Mr. D," I say. He takes a big swig of his Diet Coke. He eyes me coldly  
“Run along. Go unpack, give your brother Perry a hug."  
I quickly run off to the cabin area. Again, people greet me and I reciprocate them before I finally get to the Poseidon cabin.  
According to Percy, Camp has really upgraded the cabins since he was my age. Each person gets their own little cot with an area to put their things; a desk-like table with drawers for clothes, chair, and a weapons place. Not to mention a space under the bed to store extra luggage.  
I unpack my things, trying to ignore the storm in my stomach. I put my art supplies on the desk, my clothes in the drawers, my 27 digit safe as well as spare clothes under my bed. I put the picture of my mother and I on my desk with a sigh.  
Bad idea. An electric pain shoots through my torso, so powerful that I collapse to the ground due to my legs knocking.  
Percy! Joselyn said Percy was having the same problem! But where to find him?  
As soon as the wave of pain subdues, I manage to get back on my feet and saunter over to Percy's cot. Despite the mess, I manage to observe a calendar with this week all circled in sharpie. The words 'Greeting peeps' is scrawled in Percy's handwriting.  
"It's Percy's shift to do tours," I say to myself. "Which means he’s at the amphitheater."  
I walk quickly over to the amphitheater, open the big door and pole my head in. Percy is on the stage with Grover giving a speech.  
"So if you need anything, just ask your Cabin leader or one of the people mentioned," Percy concludes. He notices me.  
"Eva! Sup sis?" he excitedly calls up. I enter, jumping when the door slams shut behind me. The 'class' chuckles nervously.  
"Have any wisdom to place upon the new kids?" he asks, trying to sound hip. It's not working.  
"Watch out for Mr. D and Greg. Don't mess with them, Joselyn Hunt, Nico-"  
"Don't worry Miss Malone, we already briefed them on whom not to get on their bad side," Grover says.  
"As to what's up, I need to talk to you. In private," I nervously tell him. Perch recognizes the seriousness of the matter.  
"Okay young demi-gods!" Percy says with the type of fake enthusiasm only a sibling would be able to recognize. "That concludes my part of the welcome. Now our head Satyr Grover Underwood," he gestures to Grover, "will take you around the camp. Listen to him and behave."  
Grover leads the group out and to the Big House. Once they are out of earshot Percy beckons me to sit next to him. I quickly oblige.  
"So what's really up?" he asks, wincing a little. Percy's voice echoes a bit now that the room is empty. Another bolt of pain shoots through my torso right before I was going to reply. My stomach feels like something is squeezing it, trying to get all the juices out. I scrunch up my face while lurching forward in pain, holding my belly. I feel Percy pat me comfortingly on the back.  
"So you have been getting these pains as well, huh?" he says. I nod. Percy runs over to a nearby garbage can and heaves up his lunch. He returns to Eva  
"I think maybe we should go to the infirmary after Campfire. Sound okay?" Percy suggests.  
"Yeah," I softly say.  
Just then, the doors burst open. Sandra and Joselyn both look at Eva and Percy, their smiles fading.  
"Sorry, are we intruding?" Sandra quietly asks, her voice amplified due to the amphitheater.  
"Not at all," Percy shoots her a charismatic smile that could win him any election.  
"In fact, I best be off. Have to go see how Annabeth is before Campfire starts."  
Percy briskly leaves. I look at my friends expectantly.  
"Yes?"  
"We won Capture the Flag!" they exclaim in unison. I beam.  
"Awesome! How about we celebrate at Campfire?"  
They don't object.


	2. Of Jello and Prophecy

Chapter 2- Of Jell-O and Prophecy

Sandra’s POV

Upon arriving at the Campfire, Eva, Joselyn and I head to our respectful tables. Joselyn greets Nico at the Hades table; Eva greets Percy and Steward at the Poseidon table; I greet my multiple siblings but take a seat beside Will Solace and Sam MacDonald. Everyone takes some food one by one, throws a little bit of it in the fire, some pray to a god, and sit back down to enjoy their dinner. I grab some gnocchi and a steak for my supper, approach the huge fire, throw the steak in, and pray for Eva's odd pains to go away.  
My table is only the second loudest table due to the fact we have the second largest amount of people. The Dionysus table, as always, is rambunctious and noisy, despite having the third largest amount of people. Mr. D swears at them, as per usual, but they don't listen. Everything is normal.  
My table is sectioned off into cliques. There's the musicians who seem nice to almost everyone but have snide remarks when they are back at our Cabin. There's the healers who actually are nice to everyone and work in the infirmary. Then there's a group of three of us that are a bit of both; healer and a musician. Sam MacDonald, Thomas McFly, and I are the in-between Apollo children. One common trait amongst us is that we are naturally good at archery although not all of us choose to be archers.  
Most of the larger groups of half siblings have cliques. The largest cabins are Aphrodite, Apollo, Dionysus, Hermes, Hephaestus and Ares.  
Piper and Nico come around with our dessert- jello- each table receiving a different flavor. Ours is Cherry, thank the gods. The Dionysus cabin yells in laughter and rage on receiving Grape flavored jello. One of the newer Dionysus children decides to throw their jello; they make the wrong decision and it lands on Nico. Everyone falls silent.  
Nico pivots on his heels, knuckles turning white, and a deathly glare on his face.  
"Who threw that?!" he asks so calmly, it sends chills down my spine. The whole Dionysus points at a poor fellow who is turning as red as my jello. Nico stares at the poor kid for a few seconds.  
"Next time.... Aim for Percy," Nico says, a little smirk appearing on his face. We all stare at Nico, unsure if what we heard was correct.  
"What was that?" Piper asks with a sly smile on her face.  
"I said... Aim for Percy!" Nico says loudly. He wipes around fast and throws jello at Percy. It hits Percy with a loud SPLAT causing everyone to burst into chatter and laughter. Percy throws some jello, but it does not hit Nico, his target. One of the Hermes kids jumps up on the table with two handfuls of jello in their hands.  
"FOOOOD FIIIIIIGHT!" they yell. All the younger kids make jello fly and hit the older kids. Only a few of the older kids get into it. Eva, Josie and I manage to slip into the woods with minimal jello splotches. We notice a green glow coming from one of the bushes nearby.  
"What's that?" I ask nervously. Joselyn approaches it.  
"Guys! It's Rachel!" she calls. "She's channeling the Oracle!"  
Eva and I know exactly what to do. I sneak over and borrow Kacey's megaphone, Eva does the same with Percy's.  
"HEY!" we say at the same time. Everyone stops throwing the globulins and looks at us.  
"Rachel," Joselyn calls from the bush "Is currently spitting out a lime green light that is quite alarming!"  
Joselyn, with the help of Kacey, guides Rachel to a table.  
"This can't be! There hasn't been a prophecy for ten years!" Percy exclaims. "Just when my life is close to normal!"  
"Percy, it may not be about you," Nico points out unkindly. Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare starts talking. Her voice low and echoing, as it usually is when she gives a prophecy.

"A stranger will suddenly appear

A Half-blood's parent won't be clear

4 Demigods await the door

To see what a god has in store

A beloved one will lie to forever rest

Only a cursed dagger shall end this quest" Rachel recites in the deep, echoing voice of the oracle. Then, as if a light turned out, her eyes go black and she flops to the floor like a marionette that got its strings cut off. Everyone waits for her to do something, but Rachel just lays there, eyes closed and motionless. All of the 'new' demi-gods look like they just saw a ghost. Kacey is the first to speak.  
"Could I have my Generation Cabin Leaders in the meeting room in about fifteen minutes? Everyone else can go back to whatever you all do after supper," Kacey says, holding her composure. All of the older demigods- Percy, Nico, Piper, etc...- help the younger ones with coping on not knowing every little detail. Eva, Josie and I, being a part of Kacey's generation, sprint to the meeting room.

Kacey and Mr. D stand near the white board at the end of the table. The meeting room is almost exactly the same as a mortal meeting room for CEO's. The difference is that each chair is decorated according to the gods. (Example: The Zeus chair resembles a lightning bolt, Hades' is a skull, Poseidon's is a dolphin, etc...). We have:  
Skylar Fitzner, Zeus  
Joselyn Hunt, Hades  
Evaline Malone, Poseidon  
Brittney Beau, Aphrodite  
Justin Frank, Athena  
Karen Carrel, Ares  
Myself, Apollo  
Greyson Kang, Demeter  
Derrek Smith, Dionysus  
Cole Phlegan, Hephaestus  
Ammon Nikomedes, Hermes  
All sitting around the birch table, facing Kacey and Mr. D while they scribble down the prophecy. There are other Cabin Leaders from the minor gods children but I don't know their names. We wait for Kacey to finish. She turns to us.  
"Any ideas what the hell this could mean?"  
Justin immediately raises his hand. Kacey gestures for him to talk.  
"From the first line of the prophecy, I think there's going to be a new demigod, whom no one knows, arrive at Camp Halfblood. Also, from the second line, that she won't be claimed right away," Justin matter-of-factly says. Kacey joys down some notes.  
"Thank you, Justin," Kacey mentions whilst writing.  
Eva shyly puts up her hand.  
"I think that one of the gods is going to try and rise up and overthrow the others, due to the 'To see what a god has in store' line," Eva softly says. Kacey scribbles some more notes.  
"The 'beloved one shall lie to forever rest' means someone gonna die," Joselyn puts in. People look alarmingly at her. When a daughter of Hades says someone's going to die, then there is reason to be worried.  
"Do you know who?" Cole asks.  
"Unfortunately, no. I can't tell who until after they are dead," Joselyn says, keeping her self-consciousness in her eyes. Joselyn hates that she only knows AFTER the person dies that they did.  
"Any other ideas?" Kacey asks.  
"I think," Dionysus declares "that we should start worrying when time comes! This little brat who arrives could bring up more problems than prophesized, and we will be in deep shit. I say we should party while Olympus is still intact. Who's with me?!" Dionysus finishes as if he just gave a soul lifting speech. We give him unamused, blank stares in return. He frowns.  
"My boys would be all into it. SPEAKING of which, why do I have so many boys? Not one daughter in the whole freaking Camp that belongs to me!"  
"Mr. D, could we please return our focus to the prophecy?" Kacey says, looking pretty annoyed.  
"Fine, fine. But the worst wars are the ones we face in our heads. And usually the bad side wins in them," Mr D. remarks. He saunters out of the meeting room.  
"What exactly did he mean by that?" one of the Leaders from the minor gods children asks. We all look to Kacey.  
"He's usually drunk off of Coke. Who knows what?" she answers. Kacey sighs.  
"Meeting adjourned. If you come up with anything, let me know," Kacey tiredly says. We all exit in an orderly fashion.


	3. The Dream

Chapter 3- The Dream

Joselyn’s POV

"Nico, what the hell are you doing?!" I ask with furrowed brows. My brother has crumpled pieces of paper scattered around his bed, looks like he is the walking dead, and is scribbling like a madman. He scribbles more ferociously after I point it out.  
"None of your business. Go get ready for bed," Nico mumbles just loud enough for me to hear. I take a few steps toward him.  
"Nico...."  
He places the pen he was writing with down on his clipboard slowly.  
"I've been, um, brainstorming kinda," he admits. I pick up one of the crumpled pieces of paper, open it and read his messy writing.

A beloved one shall lie to forever rest  
-obviously means death  
-beloved one?  
-One of my friend's?  
-next line says something about a dagger  
-note to self: check all dagger wielders  
I pick up another one. It has the same line but different notes. I pick up and uncrumple a few more, finding that they each have the same line but different notes. I look at Nico sympathetically.  
"Why are you going crazy trying to figure it out all by yourself? Why don't you ask if others can come help brainstorm?" I softly ask.  
"I don't want help. I've done worse things on my own than this, and succeeded," he grumpily says.  
Nico has recently been having a nightmare; what a nightmare is to me. To Nico, it's a memory. I've had to wake him up a few times and calm him down, or bring him to the infirmary.  
"I just... Don't want to get hurt or for any of my friend's or yours to die," he says.  
I push all of his brainstorms under the bed, where we keep his Tartarus drawings. I take his clipboard, return it to his drawer, and pocket his pens so he can't procrastinate sleep by worrying. Nico climbs into bed; I wait until his light snoring can be heard until falling asleep myself.

I am at a high school. I don't recognize this school so it must be a dream, not a memory.  
The school looks old; the brick paint is peeling, there are a few cobwebs, and the floor is a faded brown. However the technology in the school is up to date.  
I am standing across from a classroom. For some odd reason, I REALLY what to go in there. So I do.  
I figure by the work on the whiteboard and the people that I see, I am in a grade eleven class- English to be exact. The class generally looks average.  
A girl in the back catches my eye. She keeps rapidly tapping her number two pencil against her arm, and looks anxious. She has long hair as black as night. Her eyes are a magnificent emerald green color, surrounded by the pale skin that covers her body. The girl looks about 5ft and 5inches. She was wearing a typical school uniform; knee-long navy blue satin skirt, opaque white button up blouse, and black dress shoes with white ankle socks. I approach her; no one bats an eye, as if random strangers enter their classroom all the time.  
"Hey, are you okay?" I ask. She looks at the door nervously. The girl in front of the Raven haired girl turns around.  
"We have another substitute. Are you going to be alright?" she asks. The Raven haired girl shakes her head.  
"I'll just wait to see if they told this one," she says.  
The substitute is a skinny, fresh out of university type girl and walks with a bitchy confidence that makes a shiver run up my back. The sub writes her name- Miss Sear- up on the board. She wears a turquoise pantsuit with her bleach blonde hair in a bun. She sets down her bag on the floor near the desk. Miss Sears sits on the edge of the desk to do attendance. I find out that Miss Sears likes using people's last names, and that the Raven haired girl's last name is Envis.  
"Can everyone open their books to chapter six?"  
A chorus of pages flipping follows. Miss Sear looks down at her list.  
"Envis, read first," the sub barks. Sweat beads form on the girl's forehand. Her eyes widen like a deer in the headlights. She taps harder.  
"I... I can't..." Envis quietly says, but loud enough for the sub to hear. The sub gives her a stern look.  
"What was that?"  
"I can't," the girl repeats. She looks down at her desk.  
"You can and you will. I'm waiting," the substitute says impatiently. The girl looks down at the page.  
"Chapter six...." she says. The girl blinks a few times.  
"May I be excused?" Envis asks.  
"No. Now read!" the substitute demands. The girl gets up and runs out of the classroom, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. The girl who was sitting in front of Envis approaches the sub. I follow her to overhear what she says.  
"She has ADHD and Dyslexia. She's really self conscious about it," the friend explains. The substitute looks at the friend apologetically.  
"I'll go talk to her. After I find a teacher to cover for me," the sub decides.  
I run after the girl, hoping to find her and somehow comfort her. I spot her just as she rounds the corner at the end of the hall. I sprint after her, turn the corner... And she's out of sight. I sigh and walk down the hall. I spot washrooms near the end of the hall. Girls usually resort to washrooms when crying at school so the girl is probably in there. Entering the bathroom, I find the girl sobbing in one of the stalls.  
"Hey. My name's Joselyn. You want to talk?" I ask using a soft tone. The girl doesn't respond or give any indication that she's heard me.  
"Stupid Dyslexia..." she mutters "As if I wasn't already screwed up enough, I have to have ADHD and Dyslexia. Why can't I only have one thing wrong with me?!" she mutters and then continues to sob. Footsteps echo from outside the washroom. The girl quickly tries to tidy up. The substitute teacher enters the bathroom with a stern look on her face. She regards the girl with a hungry glare.  
"Who's your father?" the substitute asks. The girl looks at Miss Sear confused.  
"According to my mom, he's an asshole who left her when I was born. She never told me a name," the girl says.  
"And you have ADHD as well as Dyslexia?" Miss Sear asks. The girl nods.  
"That among other things..." she cryptically says.  
A cracking noise starts to emit from Miss Sear. The girl looks at her frightened and confused.  
"W-w-what's that?"  
Miss Sear's skin turns into a black leathery substance. Her fingers morph into talons, hair disappears, and her face turns grotesque. The girl screams and runs passed the new Miss Sears as the substitute shifts. Two leathery wings sprout from her back. I run alongside the girl. We exit the school through the nearest exit, the new Miss Sear not far behind us.  
"Come back here so I can kill you!" Miss Sear screeches.  
"Hell no!" the girl yells. She sprints out of the parking lot, to the highway. After looking both ways, she runs across the road, only to stop abruptly at the edge of the cliff.  
"Shit," she mutters. We turn around only to see three of them surrounding us.  
"Please... Just be part of the schizophrenia the doctors diagnosed me with. Don't be real!" the girl pleads.  
Some demigods that faced monsters when they were younger are diagnosed with schizophrenia and given pills to take. Little do mortals know that the monsters are real.  
"Oh we are real," they say in unison.  
"What do you want from me?" the girl asks with a quiver in her voice. I look at her. There aren't any tears in her eyes, to my surprise.  
"Your death," they say, slightly off so it sounds like an echo. The girl looks around for a way out. The creatures grab her shoulders and legs, carry her so she is over the cliff, and drop her. She closes her eyes as she plummets into the murky waters of the Atlantic Ocean, accepting the fact that she was going to die.

I bolt to a sitting position in my bed. I feel a squish as I do. Looking around I notice that everything is wet.  
Is that sweat? Do I have a serious medical condition where I sweat a lot? That's gross! I think before I notice Nico with an empty bucket.  
"Sorry, you didn't wake up when I tried shaking you. This was a last resort," he apologizes. "I woke up because you were screaming in your sleep. You wanna talk about it?"  
I look at him up and down.  
"I just witnessed someone dying... Or at least I think they are dead," I admit. Nico sits on the side of my bed; it squished under his weight.  
"Mind if I record it? It could be important," Nico asks.  
"I don't mind," I say. I take a deep breath. Nico listens intently despite the fact that it is 4AM. When I finish, he just nods, turns off his phone, and heads back to bed.  
"What does it means?" I call. I hear him sigh.  
"It means we got a hell of a problem coming. Get some rest while you can," Nico grumpy replies.  
"But... What were those creatures? Why did they want to kill that poor girl? Is she okay?" I call.  
Nico answers with snores.


	4. The Beginning

Chapter 4- The Beginning

Sandra’s POV

Today is beach day for the Apollo and Hades Cabin! I am super excited to go swimming, find sea glass, and build sand castles! Eva is going to be on water duty so hopefully we can hang out with her.  
I pack my towel, sunscreen (even though I don't need it), goggles, and extra clothes. Most of my siblings have already left- they love beach day- leaving the Apollo cabin as a barren desert. It's kind of relaxing having all this space to myself even for a few seconds.  
My phone buzzing jerks me out of my thoughts. I have a text from Joselyn.  
HELP! EMERGENCY!  
I quickly put on a pair of sandals and spring to the Hades cabin.  
When I get there, I don't hear or see a problem. I enter the gloomy cabin to find Joselyn eying two swimsuits indecisively.  
"What's the emergency?!" I exclaim.  
"I can't decide which one to wear! This one," Joselyn gestures to a bikini that is black with colourful, fake paint splatters on it, "Makes me look pale, but it fits in all the right places. This one," she gestures to a devil red bikini that says 'Hell's Angel' on it, "Was a gift from my dad. It compliments my body perfectly."  
I sigh in relief and giggle.  
"I think you should wear the red one" I say in between giggles. Josie bolts to the bathroom to put it on. When she finally exits the bathroom, she grabs her already-packed bag and, together, we embark on out trek to the beach.  
"So how was your night?" I ask to make light conversation. Joselyn's smile fades.  
"I had a dream..."  
I stop in my tracks. Joselyn is a child of Hades, a child of the big three. Usually their dreams are usually a warning, a flashback that has important information, or a glimpse of the future. It is definitely a reason to be worried.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask. We find a spot on the grass to sit down. Joselyn recounts what she dreamed. She tells me about the dyslexic and ADHD girl, the substitute changing, the girl running away, and the creatures carrying her over the cliff.  
"It felt so real, like I was a part of the scene," Joselyn says when she finishes.  
"Have you told anyone else?" I ask. She nods.  
"Nico is going to tell Chiron about it. Hopefully he will know what to do," Josie says.  
"And this girl.... She didn't have a satyr?" I question. Josie shakes her head.  
"Nope. Which is kind of odd," she says. We have two satyrs, nymphs, and centaurs in every school in New Jersey and New York. How did no one know about this girl?  
"We should probably get to the beach," Joselyn points out. We get up and head to the beach.  
"EVA!!!" Joselyn yells once at the beach. She runs towards her. Eva waves from on top of the lifeguard post. I run to catch up.  
"How are you feeling?" I ask, a little out of breath.  
"The pains are gone, but I have this odd feeling that I should be doing something right now. The thing is I don't know what!" Eva says, frustrated.  
"How about we take a walk down the beach? You know, to take your mind off of it" I suggest. "We could swim, make sandcastles, maybe look for sea glass?"  
Eva thinks about this.  
"That does sound rather enticing. I'm in," she decides.  
After Steward, Eva's younger brother, takes her place, we start walking down the beach. In about an hour into their walk, we have swam, built a sand castle then destroyed it, and successfully collected enough sea glass to build a bottle. I am very pleased. Truthfully we are only a two minute walk away from the main swimming area. We decide to walk down the beach some more so we can just chat. Along the way, I spot something in the distance that's washed up on land.  
"Hey, guys, do you see that?" I ask, pointing to the thing.  
"It's probably a dead jellyfish," Eva brushes it off.  
"No, I would know if it was dead. That thing, whatever it is, is alive!" Joselyn counters.  
Eva runs up to it. We watch her touch it, then roll it over. Eva stifles a gut wrenching shriek, causing Joselyn and I to run over to her. Joselyn freezes when she sees what it is. I am shocked as well.  
"Th-th-thats the g-girl from m-m-my dr-dream" Joselyn stutters.  
Eva and I go right to work; Eva checks up on Joselyn while I check up on the girl. I put my hand a few centimeters away from the girl's mouth. Hot air caresses it. I pit two fingers to her throat for a pulse; I find that although faint, the girl indeed has one.  
"Hey, Evaline? The girl is breathing, but unconscious. How's Josie?" I call.  
"Still shocked but functional," Josie answers for herself "What do you want us to do?"  
"Evaline, you go grab your towel so we can carry her. You and I will take her head, while Joselyn takes her feet," I order.  
I check for any injuries. Feeling her arms and legs I don't find any fractures or broken bones. I feel the lower part of her ribs; no cracks. I can't check for bleeding due to the girl's uniform hugging her body, not wanting to let go. Even her cardigan is sticking close.  
Joselyn helps me lift her out of the cold ocean and onto the blanket.  
A few minutes of silence pass as we carry her down the beach.  
"She is so short! I mean, I know I'm tall, but she is shorter than both of you! She looks about 5ft. 3 inches," Joselyn rambles, breaking the silence.  
Eva gives her a 'really, you're saying that NOW?' look. No one speaks for a few awkward seconds.  
"What should we call her until she wakes up?" Eva changes the subject. Joselyn gasps.  
"We should call her Snow White because of her long black hair, cold pale skin, and we found her unconscious!" she excitedly says. I giggle at her.  
As soon as we get to camp, a crowd of camper swarms us- like paparazzi when a celebrity goes by- everyone abuzz with questions. Questions that people usually ask as if we knew knew ANYTHING about her. Percy luckily comes to the rescue by using his authority as Activities Director/Swordsmen to get the crowd back to their normal routines. He takes Snow White up into his arms to give us a break and runs to the infirmary with us trailing behind him. Once at the infirmary I send someone to find Will and Kacey. Joselyn and one of the infirmary's assistants help me set up an oxygen machine, a heart monitor, and an IV.  
"She's got a lot of sand," Joselyn points out.  
"Well, she was on the beach," I point out. I send the assistant to grab Snow White a warm blanket.  
"Who's going to do the report?" Kacey asks from the door. Eva volunteers. Just as they leave, Will Solace-our main doctor and surgeon- enters. He spots where I am and immediately comes to help.  
"Okay, I think we need to do a blood test, x-ray, and a full body check," Will says.  
"Shouldn't we wait until she is awake?" I question "At least for the X-ray and full body check."  
Will considers this.  
“True."  
Will looks over the girl's oxygen levels, heart rate, and the IV we are giving her.  
"Her oxygen levels are fine. Now, text me when she wakes up, I have got to go," Will says whilst retreating to the door.  
"Go where?" I call.  
"I'm taking a vacation," Will calls.  
He can't just simply take a vacation?! We need him!  
"Hey Sandra?!" Joselyn says quietly.  
"Yes?"  
"The first line of the prophecy has come true." Joselyn slowly says. "The first line of the prophecy is: A stranger will suddenly appear. No one knows this girl. Usually a satyr or known demigod finds the unknown Halfling," she explains.  
Eva returns at this point, sauntering in with a tired demeanor. Percy, whom I had forgotten about, rises from the chair next to Snow White's bed.  
"I'm going to talk with Kacey, to see what to do. I think we should take shifts to watch her. You all cool with that?" Percy suggests. We all nod.  
"As long as I don't get the first shift," Eva says.  
"I'll do it. Just in case something pops up that is a medical issue," I volunteer. My sister, Sam MacDonald, pokes into the conversation.  
"Me too. I'd love to take first watch!" she says. I smile at her.  
"Thanks.”

One Week Later

Joselyn's POV  
"How was your shift?" I ask a very tired Sandra. Sandra and one of her sisters, Sam McDonald took the night shift for the third time this week.  
"It was uneventful. The most exciting thing we did was play hymns to her and the other patients." Sandra yawns.  
"How about you girls go take a nap?" I suggest. Sandra trudges off to her cabin, Sam close behind.  
I grab myself a chair, plop it down beside Snow White's bed, and sits  
down. Now closer to her, I take the chance to observe her.  
She has sand in her long black hair, and all over her clothes. She is wearing a school uniform; white blouse, navy blue cardigan, navy blue stockings, and dress shoes. I notice some red substance staining the girl's blouse, near her shoulders. I glance closer and realizes in horror that it's blood. The blood is hard to see because of her cardigan, but still just noticeable.  
"NICO!?" I yell. Nico rushes over, in his own gothic little way.  
"Is she awake?" he asks with a surprising bit of hope.  
"Does she LOOK awake?" I reply flatly. "She is bleeding at the shoulders! Nico, go get a doctor or something!" I command alarmingly.  
Nico leaves the room, running briskly. I look down at Snow White to check for any more cuts, scrapes, or other wounds. I try to be as gentle as I can, but decides just to let Nico, who is now walking back over with a satyr doctor, handle it. The satyr is carrying nectar, ambrosia, and bandages while Nico is carrying an assortment of liquids. The satyr sets up a station next to the bed to put the equipment on. He looks at me.  
"State areas of damage"  
"Ummm her shoulders, and her left hip. Also, deep gashes along both of her legs; claw shaped."  
With that, the satyr goes to work.  
Nico and I sit in silence, with a hawk-like stare on the girl. The silence is getting awkward, especially because Nico is clicking his tongue..  
"How did you girls NOT see her bleeding?" my brother questions.  
"Well, I guess that we were more focused on getting help. We didn't notice, let alone check." I respond honestly.  
Nico tries to take off the cardigan but realizes he'd have to cut it off. He sighs.  
"Well, it's probably what's keeping her from bleeding out, and if we take it off right now, it would just rip off the scab. I also don't feel comfortable doing that," Nico says. I smirk.  
"I know why," I smile coyly at him.  
"Shut up," Nico mumbles.  
Suddenly, we hear a rustle coming from Snow White's bed.


	5. A Brighter Dae

Chapter 5- A Brighter Dae

Snow White’s POV

The first color I see is white. White walls, white floor, white bed sheets, and white doctor coats someone is wearing. I am in a hospital. I try to prop myself on my elbows to get a better view, but as soon as I put pressure on them, an intense, stinging pain surges from my shoulders to my elbows. I collapse back onto the bed, my shoulders slamming into a fluffy pillow.  
Then it hits me. The crazy events that had occurred over the past few days flood into my memory like a brick wall, slamming me out of my thoughts. What day is it? Where am I? I try to lift my head up but it feels as if it is filled with lead.  
That's when I notice a boy and a girl, each sitting in a chair, staring at my green eyes with a shocked expression. The girl takes out her cell phone and calls someone named Evaline. The boy runs to get some water, which I admit, I could really use right now.  
The girl has fiery orange hair that falls a little past her shoulders. She is tall, probably about 5ft 11inches. The girl's eyes are black; as if someone spilled ink all over the iris except for the fact there is a twinkle in them. The boy, whom comes back with the water, is Goth. Black hair, eyes, and clothes (apart from the navy blue jeans he is wearing). They look like complete opposites but I can tell that they are related.  
"Hi," the girl quietly says.  
"Hi," I raspily reply. The girl looks to the guy, nervously biting her lip. The guy sighs.  
"My name is Nico di Angelo, and this is my sister, Joselyn Hunt." He gestures to the girl. "You are in the infirmary because Joselyn and her friends -you will meet them later- found you washed up on the beach. Just to let you know, you have deep gashes on your shoulders and legs. The ones are your legs are really bad, so you're not going to be able to walk for a few days."  
Nico puts the water on the table near me. I guzzle it down quickly, savoring the feeling of it sliding down my throat.  
"How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort?" Joselyn asks with genuine concern. I shake my head 'yes'.  
"Shoulders," I hoarsely tell her. Joselyn goes over to one of the machines I am hooked up to. Heart monitor, blood pressure, and... An IV. She replaces the IV bag filled with fluid with one filled with another golden substance.  
"W-w-w-w-what's that?" I ask, shaking with fear.  
"Nectar," Nico answers flatly, as if I should know what that means.  
"Nico," Joselyn scolds. She sits down on the stool near my bed.  
"What do you know about Greek gods?" She asks.  
I think about it. We studied Greek mythology in World Religions class.  
"Just the basics," I answer.  
"Like what?" Nico persists.  
"Um... There are twelve main gods, a lot of minor gods and goddesses, and that they sometimes can be assholes," I answer. Nico smirks.  
"You have no idea about the amount of assholeness that is Olympus," he mumbles.  
"You're Greek then?! You don't look it," I comment.  
"You know about demigods, yeah?" Joselyn asks.  
"Yes. Hercules is the most famous," I reply.  
"Well, you see.... We are demigods," she bluntly says. "Every single person in this room is a demigod."  
What? There’s no such thing as gods and goddesses!  
"No...." I say.  
"Do you see things that most people don't see? Like monsters?" Joselyn asks. I nod.  
"It's because they are mortals. You are a demigod. We don't know your parentage yet, but we should know soon," Joselyn tells me.  
Just then, three people come through the entrance door of the infirmary. One girl uses a wheelchair. She has a name tag on that reads Kyaec Diansovd on it. No, that's not it, stupid dyslexia, I think to myself. She has short brown hair that just brushes her shoulders. She has brilliant, kind and caring blue eyes. The other two walk over so that they are on the left side of my bed. I look up at them curiously, somewhat straining my neck. Joselyn cuts in.  
"Snow White, this is Evaline Malone," she gestures to one of the girls standing to my left. Evaline is staring at me with soft blue-green eyes, filled with questioning as if she wants to ask me a whole bunch of things but at the same time doesn't want to be too demanding. She has light brown hair that falls into curls just past her shoulders.  
"And this is Sandra Anderson." Joselyn gestures to the girl on the right of Evaline. This girl has chestnut brown, curly hair that hangs in a ponytail at the moment -in the ponytail it just brushes the bottom of her neck. She has blue eyes which are looking at me with an expression that says 'I'm astonished you're alive!'  
Wait, did Joselyn just call me Snow White? I think.  
"Why did you just call me Snow White?" I ask.  
"We don't know your name," the brunette, Evaline, tells me "so we created a nickname. Kind of like Jane Doe."  
"My name is-" I start but stop short. I have a bad history that is linked with my name. I'm sure they would find out how many schools I've destroyed whilst defending myself and my medical history. There are some things I'd like to keep private.  
The girls look at me expectantly.  
"Yes?" they all say.  
"Dae; D-A-E," I confidently tell them.  
"Dae Envis?" Joselyn asks. I nod.  
"Well, Dae, if you want a tour of Camp, you can have one once all the Nectar is gone. One of us or another demigod can wheel you around in a wheelchair if you wish," Sandra informs me.  
"Or I could carry her," Percy suggests while entering "Save you the hassle."  
"Wait wait wait," I say, "You used the term demigods. There are no such thing as gods or goddesses or demigods or half-people-half-animal things! It's myth!"  
Evaline is about to say something bit Kacey interrupts her with a hand motion. I watch as Kacey stands up out her wheelchair and instead of a human behind, the torso, tail, and legs of a horse emerge from it.  
"There ARE such things as half-person-half-animal things. The gods are real. If this isn't enough proof, then we will take you to the empire state building!" Kacey levelly says.  
It's too much. From this new substance being pumped into me, to Kacey having a horse's butt, I am overwhelmed. So I do the practical thing and faint.

When I wake up, it is darker than I remember it being. Sitting next to me on the stool is Joselyn, with Evaline and Sandra in chairs at the end of my bed. They all sigh in relief upon realizing my consciousness whereabouts.  
"Hey," Joselyn timidly says.  
I clear my throat.  
"Hey," I clearly reply.  
"So Kacey is going to go find some satyrs to help you process the information. Meanwhile, your shoulder injuries are reduced to scars thanks to the Nectar we gave you," Sandra informs me.  
"My brother Percy is going to bring you to the Aphrodite Cabin to get cleaned up," Evaline says.  
Good, I think to myself, I can finally rid of this chaffing feeling in the crevices of my skin!  
"Ok," I say. I look at my arm where the machines were hooked up: only the IV remains. Sandra immediately stands up and approaches that side.  
"Oh yeah, I can take that out now," she says. I wince as I feel the metal sliding out of my skin. I take a few deep breaths in order to calm down. Sandra puts the IV away in the nurse’s station.  
Without thinking clearly, I pull the blanket off, swinging my legs over the side, and try to stand up... but since my legs aren't healed, I fall to the ground in pain. Evaline is faster and stronger than she looks, because she catches me mid-air.  
"You can't walk. The deep gashes on your legs.... Remember?" Evaline reminds me. I smile sheepishly.  
"Oh yea..." I say.  
"You were trying to run away, were you?" Sandra asks while returning. I shake my head 'no'.  
"If I'm going to stay, I'd like to know a few things," I declare.  
My mom and her boyfriend’s have taught me a lot about what could happen when alone with complete strangers or what to do in the case if I get kidnapped. If you can't fight your way out, you must do what they want while obtaining information on how things work.  
"Of course. What would you like to know?" Eva replies, placing me back down on the bed.  
"Where am I, how long do you plan on keeping me here, and why are you drugging me?" I ask.  
There is no way that the girl from earlier is half horse. They must be giving me some powerful pain medication or a hallucinogenic.  
"Camp Halfblood on Long Island," Evaline answers.  
"We don't plan on keeping you here against your will, just until you are healed, and then you may leave if you wish. But you will be safe in here; away from the monsters and you can learn how to use weapons," Joselyn replies.  
"And we aren't giving you any drugs," Sandra adds.  
I look at them unimpressed.  
"Oh please. There are no such things as gods and half human half animals!"  
"The Greek gods are REAL. Joselyn is a daughter of Hades, and Sandra is a daughter of Apollo. We are called Demigods, and you are one. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it inside the boarders of camp," Joselyn informs me.  
"You are all crazy!" I burst. "Did I happen to pop up in the mental asylum? Because I've been threatened that!"  
They all look at me confusedly.  
"Nevermind..."  
Eva, Joselyn, and Sandra huddle and speak in hushed tones. They come to a conclusion and turn to me. Joselyn approaches a shadow that's being cast from the bed, steps in it and... Disappears?!  
"What the hell? Where did she go?!"  
Suddenly, Joselyn appears across the room, out from under the bed.  
"How did you do that?!" I exclaim.  
"I'm a daughter of Hades," she states.  
"Okay," I say, creeped out.  
A very attractive looking male enters the room. He has the same sea green eyes as Evaline, has dark hair, and looks like he is in his late twenties. He looks to Eva.  
"Hey sis! What did you want me to do?" the guy asks.  
"Carry her to the Aphrodite cabin to get cleaned up," Eva orders.  
He looks at me and goofily smiles.  
"How new is she?" he asks.  
"One week. She washed up on the shore," Eva reminds him. The guy takes a minute but remembers.  
"Oh well, okay!"  
Without any warning, the guy approaches me, scoops me up bridal-style, and chuckles when I gasp.  
"My name's Percy," he greets.  
"Dae," I reply.  
"Well, Dae, welcome to Camp Halfblood."


	6. Cabin Placement

Chapter 6- Cabin Placement

Dae’s POV

Everyone stares as Percy carries me outside. It could be the fact he’s popular, or the fact that I’m covered in sand from head to toe. Either way it is creepy having everyone’s eyes on me, like I was some sort of God! I don’t like it so I decide to cuddle closer to Peter. He realize that the crowd is scaring me a bit, so he gives them a ‘back away’ look, making them snap out of their trance. All except for one dude who is playing Pinochle with a half-man half-horse thing.  
“That’s Dionysus” Percy whispers when he notices me staring. “He’s the Greek God of Wine, Parties, and Berries.” He turns to Dionysus. “Dionysus this is Dae. She is still unclaimed, so can you Iris-message Olympus? You know what will happen if you don’t.”  
The God stares at me with big eyes, alarmingly, and then looks around. He mutters something while he gets up and runs off towards what I think is the big house.  
I am getting curious to why Peter is carrying me and not and not getting something to put me in or on.  
“Peter? I say.  
“Actually,” he chuckles. “It’s Percy. Anyway, go on.”  
I blush. “Why don’t you, like, call over a half-horse person for me to ride instead of carrying me?” I ask.  
“Some centaurs don’t like to be ridden.”  
We walk until I see some cabins placed in the form of a big U. I know which one is the Aphrodite Cabin right away, and think, Oh Gods. The Aphrodite Cabin is the only pink cabin in the U. A group of girls are texting when we approach. Percy clears his throat and they look up in unison.  
“Girls, this is Dae. You girls probably know who she is by now. Would you mind texting some of your cabin mates? You’re going to clean her up and give her a make-over.”  
The girls squeal with joy and start rapidly texting. I give Percy an alarming look to which he just laughs. Soon after, a stampede of boys and girls come running towards us. They all start chatting about what to do, which turns into fighting over whose going to do what. In the end, they decide that the girls will be washing me up, (that includes bath, brush hair, and basically do a spa treatment), while the guys are going to do my hair, make-up, and clothes selection, (to which I have no say). They all rush in, chatting about what scents I like, different opinions about my style, and other ways to Barbie me up. One of the girls skips out with a styling chair on wheels, stopping right in front of Percy and me.  
“Alrighty! Percy you can set er’ down and leave the gal with us!” She says with an enthusiastic Texas accent, trying not to sound excited. Percy carefully places me on the chair. I kind of don’t want him to leave me in the doll House filled with Barbie’s and Ken’s.  
“If you’re not an Aphrodite kid, then this will be like Hades.”  
He left me rolling into the Aphrodite Cabin without being able to move myself out.  
I have come to the conclusion I’m not a Daughter of Aphrodite. For one, I’m really quiet whilst in their company. Well, most of the time. The amount of talking I have done so far has been pleading them to let me wear a bathing suit while in the bath. I convince them, luckily. Also, they are gossiping pretty much the whole time about who’s dating who, who likes who, and some rumors. I have learned that Percy is engaged to a girl named Annabeth, Joselyn has been in a relationship with a Hephaestus kid named Cole Phlegon for a few months now, and a Hermes kid named Ammon Nikomedes likes Evaline A LOT and is planning to ask her out sometime this summer, all during the course of washing my sandy hair. Then again, they have used FIVE different products in my long, used to be sandy, hair.  
Right now, I’m all clean, fresh, and off to styling (borrowing one of the girl’s clothes). All of the ‘Kens’ have an evil stylist’s look upon their faces when I roll in. I really want to run away, but I can’t. I have tried a couple of times while in this Barbie house. One of them comes over to take me from the person pushing the styling chair.  
“We’ve got plans for you, deary.” He whispers in my ear evilly. I look back at him.  
“Actually my name is Dae.”I reply back bitterly. Me talking is apparently the other guys’ cue to crowd around me and start asking questions. Questions about my style, favorite colors, and I hear one person ask me if I like Gerbils. Every answer I give them –reluctantly- one person will write a note down.  
Once done with the questions, they each go to work, drawing an outfit according to what I had said. Then I can’t believe my eyes! The sketches, once finished, come off the page and grow to my size! One of the boys texts one of his sisters to get ready for me to come over. I know this because he then rolls me over to the ‘Barbie’ section. The rest of the boys rush over with the outfits. The girls vote on which one I should wear first and then all but two girls leave so I can get dressed.  
The outfit that wins is a bit out of my style. I like wearing graphic tees or tank tops with baggy pants, jeans, or jean shorts. The outfit they voted on is a tank top and skirt, that when you tuck in the top looks like I’m wearing a dress. The tank top has a dark pink and white diamond pattern on it, while the skirt is black with a thick, elastic waistband. Once I have it on, the girls take two steps backwards to look at their brother’s work.  
“You look... BEAUTIFUL!” the older one cries out. The other girl signals one of the guys to come in. This guy is buff, more buff than the others. He comes behind me, and picks me up by the armpits, making sure that my feet have no weight on them. He then carries me over to the full-body mirror. The pink brings out my long, now glossy, black hair, the skirt puffs out a bit, just brushing my knee caps, hiding my thighs. I really like it, which is somewhat showing on my face. It is apparently enough for the two girls because they are clapping their hands. The older one walks over.  
“Thanks Jacque, you can put er’ down now,” After he puts me back on the styling chair and leaves, the older one turns to me, kneeling so that we are eye-level. She sticks out her hand prompting me to shake it. I take it.  
“My name is Brittany Beau, Head of the Aphrodite Cabin. I already know who you are! Your name is Dae. Do you have a last name?”  
I nod. She looks at me expectantly, but since I told Kacey my initials-which ironically make a name- I can’t tell her anything.  
“I’m not telling some random person I just met my last name.” I whisper, breaking eye-contact with her. She curses softly.  
“Well, you’re not an Aphrodite kid, so I better call Percy.” Brittany sighs.  
A knock on the door makes me jump. Percy walks in with his hands over his closed eyes.  
“Is she decent? A GUY’S definition of decent?”  
“Ya mean with clothes on ‘n’ everything? Yup!”  
Percy slowly opens his eyes while bringing his hands down. He looks at me, impressed. “So what’s the verdict?”  
“That was hell. What’s next?” I say flatly.  
Brittany looks disappointed. “You didn’t like ANY of it?”  
“I don’t like multiple complete strangers touching me and bathing me and acting like I’m a little kid that doesn’t know anything!” I exclaim through clenched teeth, a few tears streaming down my face. Percy looks like he wants to comfort me and say “it’s okay” but it would have been too awkward. Instead, he comes over and picks me up with his strong muscular arms. But instead of carrying me in his arms, he swings me onto his back into a piggy back position telling me to hold on tight.  
He is acting more like a brother than a guy who is doing his job, I think. Percy walks out, muttering a thank you to Brittany, and brings out a clip-board. After crossing out Aphrodite, there are only 5 names not crossed out yet; Athena, Apollo, Demeter, Dionysus, and Hephaestus.  
“Well, let’s see if you are musically inclined.”  
After breaking three reeds, shattering glass while hitting a high pitched note on a flute, getting nothing out of the brass instruments, and somehow lodging a mallet in a drum without actually breaking the drum open, it is time to see if I can sing. Let’s just say the high note in Dream On by Aerosmith I hit, explodes the karaoke machine into a million pieces causing everyone except Sandra and Sam (Samantha is her real name. But don’t call her that unless you want a serious sunburn), was angry with me.  
Percy sighs as he crosses off Apollo.  
“Was it that bad?” I ask.  
Percy looks at me with a ‘get ready for the bad news’ expression.  
“I could hear the flute noise from the other side of camp.”  
I didn’t even get a chance to respond. Evaline Malone bursts through the door.  
“Dionysus is missing.”  
I get to see the Meeting Room in the Big House. It’s not like Percy, Sandra, and Evaline could just leave me in the Apollo Cabin, so they bring me with them. Everyone is there except for the head of the Hermes Cabin. The seat is empty.  
Kacey sits in her wheelchair at the end of the ping pong table-which is used for meetings. Since I am considered a ‘guest’, Joselyn persuades Kacey to let me sit on her lap. Everyone is abuzz with questions like “where is Dionysus, What the Hades is going on”, and I heard one person ask, “Why is SHE here” (referring to me). Kacey brings out a gavel and whacks the table. Instantly everyone falls silent.  
“We have two orders of business. The first is: Who last saw or spoke with Dionysus?” Kacey looks around the room, hopeful, but is greeted by dead silence. Then, I remember something I saw earlier today.  
“Um, when I was in the Apollo Cabin, I saw someone walk by.”  
Everyone’s eyes are on me, everyone except for Kacey’s who is jotting down notes rapidly.  
“Okay, I will get some of his children to investigate that.”  
Just then, three boys walk in, the two youngest in some sort of handcuffs. The two boys –twins, one with black hair, the other with reddish- have a guilty look on their face. Kacey trots over to them, the oldest boy looks very mad at the other two.  
“Tell Kacey and the rest of the Cabin heads what you two did.”  
Kacey has her hands crossed in front of her chest, one eyebrow raised. The one with red hair speaks up.  
“We..... Um....... spiked the Nectar before feeding time.”  
Kacey looks at me then back at the twins, who aren’t meeting her gaze.  
“MILES AND TYRONE STOLL!” She yells angrily but then calms herself down.  
“When exactly did you do this?”  
The one I believe to be Miles mumbles something inaudible. The bigger guy tightens the cuffs in one swift move, causing Miles to whimper.  
“This morning!” Miles yelps. Then, it clicks for everyone. I woke up this morning. Everyone starts staring at me. Some of them in shock, others with their heads cocked to the side. Maybe it is the fact Joselyn is playing with my hair? No, because Kacey isn’t asking everyone to stop, she is staring to! I feel Joselyn stop playing with my hair. Wait… everyone isn’t looking at me, they are looking at the silvery purple wine glass with a vine wrapped around it floating above my head.


	7. Healing Hypothesis

Chapter 7- Part 1-Healing Hypothesis

Dae’s POV

Right now I am trying to find the Dionysus Cabin. This should be easy, but it isn’t. Thinking about what happened after I got claimed confuses me even more.......  
Flashback  
The first person to talk is my new half-brother.  
“I have a sister!” he says in amazement. Joselyn rolls us over toward where he is sitting. He stands awkwardly and walks towards me. We don’t hug, don’t high-five each other like normal just-met-brother-and-sister. We just stand there staring, dead silence in the room. I can smell him from where I am sitting; Alcohol and grapes. Kacey clears her throat.  
“Greg Allchoo, meet your sister Dae.”  
The first thing my just-met half brother says to me is:  
“No last name?”  
I slowly nod my head, still shocked by all of this. He looks at me expectantly.  
“Well? What is it?”  
I study him. Greg has messy black hair like Dionysus’. He looks half Greek, one quarter African, and one quarter Polish, yet he speaks perfect English. The only thing that resembles his father is his hair and his eyes. Greg looks about 18 years old, standing at about 6ft 1 inch. For some reason, I don’t trust him.  
“I’m not telling you,” I whisper to him. He gives me a look of hate and hurt.  
“Not telling your own brother?!”  
His eyes turn a dark murky green color. Suddenly thick green vines sprout from the ground, grabbing me off of Joselyn’s lap. The Head of –what I’m guessing- Ares brings out a sword and cuts the vines off while another person restrains Greg. The vines shrink back into the ground, releasing me onto my feet. I yelp in pain as my knees buckle and I fall, almost hitting the floor. Almost. A guy- not sure what cabin he is from- catches me.  
Once all the drama is over, everyone settles down a bit and Greg is escorted out by the Head of the Ares Cabin. I get to sit in the Dionysus chair while the council discusses different ways to possibly heal my legs.  
“How about an Apollo kid plays a healing hymn?” A girl suggests.  
“No, we tried that already,” Sandra replies.  
“What about rubbing Nectar on the wound?” Brittany Beau suggests. Everyone looks at her like she is crazy.  
“Rubbing it in would be the same as if she drank Nectar, and we don’t want to kill her!” Exclaims the girl from Athena. An idea comes to me while looking at the Hermes twins.  
“What if you rub or pour Alcohol on them? I mean, I woke up because they spiked the Nectar, so it should work if the alcohol isn’t mixed with anything; the power of healing would be greater.”  
Everyone’s eyes are on me. Kacey whispers something to Eva. Evaline nods while standing up and leaves the room in a rush.  
After Eva is gone, Kacey looks at me empathetically.  
“Now, I will warn you, this might hurt and cause some pain on your part.”  
My eyes widen.  
“P-p-p-p-pain?” I stammer, my voice rising up a few octaves. Everyone suddenly is so far away. Someone from the end of the table voices up.  
“Do you have a fear of pain?” he asks with a half chuckle, half serious tone.  
“Why would you say that?”  
He grins. “Well, for one thing, as soon as the word pain was mentioned, you jumped up and subconsciously used your power over vines to get up on the ceiling.”  
He’s right. The boy crawls up the veins to where I am on the ceiling with such swiftness all I can do is gape. Now I can see he him better and I instantly feel that I can trust him without knowing why or how.  
“Come on, let’s return to the ground.”  
For some reason I obey him. His voice is so gentle and calming. I slide down the vines back into the Dionysus chair.  
The girl from the Athena Cabin- Her name tag states that her name is Adria Athane- looks at me as if she is studying. Without a single notice in advance she reaches out and hugs me.  
“I feel bad for you” she whispers in my ear as we pull away.  
“Why?”  
“Demigods feel pain quite often.”  
With that, Eva walks in the room.  
“The Dionysus Cabin is ready for you”   
End Flashback  
Now we are heading to the Dionysus Cabin. I have Joselyn, Sandra, the guy who got me down from the ceiling, Eva, and Kacey with me. Kacey wants me to navigate so I can learn how to get around camp. They promised to help out if I ever get too confused. Finally, after I thought I was lost, a cabin with vines hanging down from the roof and party streamers thrown at random places comes into view. Kacey sighs with relief.  
“As a reward, would you like me to pull you the rest of the way?”  
Since I am a thrill seeker, I nod my head. Kacey then draws out a rope and ties it around her “waist” then passes the other end to me to hold on to.  
The feeling is great! The wind in my hair, the adrenaline rush, the styling chair- which the Aphrodite kids let me use to get around- is hitting every little bump … and the feeling of falling. I suddenly remember that time on the cliff and what happened...  
“Stop, STOP!” I yell. Kacey stops, the others running to catch up. The guy’s face is full of concern.  
“What is it?”  
I shake my head ‘no’.  
“Why won’t you tell us? Why won’t you tell us anything about you?” His voice not full of frustration, but with curiosity. I look into his navy blue eyes.  
“I’m sorry, it’s just I don’t know you guys too well, and you’re all crazy!”  
“What do you mean crazy?” He asks in a cautionary tone.  
“Well, do you people really think this is all real? Like, Greek gods and stuff? For all I know I could just be having a very vivid dream! I will wake up back at Campbell High with my friends Rhys Henderson and Emily MacDooley beside me.” I realize I just gave them the names of my two best friends AND the school I go to. The guy smiles while writing down the information he just learned.  
“CRAP!” I exclaim. He smiles at me, half chuckling.  
“Hmm… Who knew getting you frustrated would get you to spill some secrets you have been hiding.”  
I blush as we walk/roll the rest of the way to the Dionysus Cabin, in silence.

Everyone stares at me. All 32 of my half-brothers -yes ALL of them are brothers- stare at me, 64 green eyes in my direction. Everyone’s hair is black like mine. It is awkwardly silent, as if they are all waiting for some sort of cue. Kacey breaks the silence.  
“So... What are you boys waiting for? Get to work! And remember, that wine is not for drinking. It’s for healing Dae!”  
The crowd gets to work, setting up a bed- since the only available table would be a ping pong table- for me to lie on. A couple of my brothers bring out some wine coolers filled with different brands. The one who seems to be “in charge” walks over to where I am sitting.  
“Okay, so we have come up with three variations of your idea. The first option is you drink 5 full bottles of wine. The second is half of us will hold you down while the other half pours it into your wound. The third is that we inject it into the blood stream.”  
I wince.  
“Is there a less painful option?” I ask hopefully. My brother gives me a weird look.  
“No. Just pick one!”  
“Well, I don’t like needles, and I don’t think I can chug 5 bottles of wine.” I think out loud.  
“Alright,” he gestures for all of the smaller, under 14, Demi-gods to leave, not wanting them to hear my predicted screams. Then he gestures to the guy who caught me in the meeting, (he’s not one of my brothers).  
“Aelix, will you please pick her up and place her over there on the bed?”  
The guy, Aelix, does just that. He leaves, but before catching up with the rest of the girls, Aelix looks in through the window and sighs.  
I now count twelve of my brothers, all surrounding me, staring at me. I see a figure walk out of the shadows. Greg.  
“What are all of you waiting for? She’s not going to feel pain with you guys just standing there staring!” he barks angrily. The others all get into position. 9 of them behind me restraining me, while four, (counting Greg), are in my view. Greg leans down so he is a mere centimeters from my face.  
“This is going to be fun.” He whispers evilly...

This is HELL. After Greg gets away from my face, everyone’s hands tighten on my arms. I try to scream, but an extra hand covers my mouth. I try to kick, but it hurts my legs. Greg comes around to my face, starting to stroke it.  
“Don’t cry little sister. And it’s no use to kick or get away.”  
I give him a murderous look, but it’s hard with a hand over my mouth. Greg reaches for a bowl; I’m watching his every move. He notices me staring and thrusts the bowl in my direction.  
“Want a grape?”  
I shake my head ‘no’.  
“A Dionysus kid who doesn’t like grapes? Wow.”  
Just then, my legs feel as if flames are coming from my cuts. Reflexively, I kick. Greg rolls his eyes, and nods at one of the skinnier boys. I shut my eyes, expecting him to bring me pain, but instead, I feel a weight on my thighs. I open my eyes, surprised to see the skinny kid sitting on my legs. He weighs just enough to restrain me from kicking.  
After a few minutes of Greg eating grapes, the skinny guy examining my face, and listening to the odd conversations that my brothers who are holding me down are having, the hand over my mouth drops! I let out a high-pitched, horror movie scream then start cursing and yelling at my brothers. When my tantrum stops, Greg motions the skinny kid to get off of me. Greg then takes the skinny guy’s place on my legs while making a tsk noise.  
“She’s a feisty little one, isn’t she?” He says to the others. I notice there is a butcher’s knife in Greg’s pocket, just close enough for me to grab… and the door is just 2 and a half meters away... I also notice that Greg is distracted. This is my chance. I grab the knife and scratch three of the holders’ hands, just wanting to get away; not caring how badly it would hurt them. Next, I make a scratch on Greg’s hand and thigh. He stands up yelling,  
“YOU LITTLE SHIT!”  
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, (knocking over a few wine bottles in the process), and run for the door. I am just about to pull it open, when arms wrap around my waist. Greg laughs as he carries me back over to the bed. This time, he conjures up some vines to secure me.  
He is still laughing when he finishes with the vines. I shoot him a look of hatred but I don’t say anything that I am thinking.  
After about 5 minutes I finally ask,  
“What’s so funny?”  
He looks at me with love, compassion, and hysteria. The only thing I could do was cock my head to the side in confusion.  
“I bet you didn’t notice during your little ‘get away’ plan that your legs are healed.”


	8. Truth and Games

Chapter 8- Truth and Games

Dionysus POV

I walk across the bridge, each step causing it to creak under my weight. I would have been in my godly form, but that would draw the attention of mortals. It is a cold Manhattan day, the air full of mist. The fog is so thick that I don’t notice a man coming towards me until he is mere feet away. The man looks at me, his face covered with shadows.  
“You called?” The man says his voice a little husky.  
“Yes, I did call.” I say calmly, although I am soon going to burst out all of my anger. Since the man doesn’t reply, I decide to cut the chit-chat.  
“You know why I set up this meet,” I say darkly. “A new camper came to us a few days ago. She woke up this morning. It’s the child I gave to you because I thought SHE was another HE! You promised to kill it after it did what you wanted!” I yell.  
The man chuckles.   
“Foolish Dionysus. It hasn’t done the deed yet.”  
“It’s enough that you stole some of my blood and injected it into her, causing her to be cursed. Now you want her to do you a favor?”  
“Yes. You play a key part in this plan of pinning all the gods against each other.”  
Two hands grab me from behind, cuffing me. I try to conjure up some vines, but my powers don’t work. I give the man a dirty look.  
“What part do I play?”  
“You are going to draw the girl into my trap. Then I will kill whoever is with her-not without torturing them first. But I won’t kill them in front of her, unless she doesn’t join me. Also, because she is your first daughter in about 100 years, she is very powerful.” The man smiles evilly as he loads me into a van. I can’t fight him  
because the cuffs are draining my energy. The doors of the van close just before I pass out.

Dae’s POV  
Greg undoes the vines, but first making me swear on the River Styx not to try and hurt him. Greg explains that they were testing me on how well I can do If I ever get captured by a bad guy, and if I fight-or-flight.  
“So what are my results?” I ask and then add, “And THAT IS NO WAY TO GREET A NEW SIBLING! PARTICULARLY ONE THAT IS CONFUSED, SCARED, HAS A PHOBIA OF PAIN, NEEDLES AND DOCTORS!” Then I realize I did it again.  
“CRAP!” I yell as Greg jots down notes on a near-by notepad. When he finishes, he looks up at me.  
“To help you with your fear, you will need to meet with the Phobos cabin sometime in your schedule. As for the results, your fatal flaw is that you are impulsive and act quickly without knowing all the facts. I also learned that you try to hide your negative emotions, until they bubble up and explode.” He calmly says.  
“What’s your fatal flaw?” I ask. Greg blushes.  
“My temper,” Greg mutters loud enough for me to JUST be able to hear.  
“Really? I had no idea!” I reply sarcastically.  
“Yeah I go into semi-psychotic rages sometimes and I turn partially evil. It usually lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. Today at the meeting it was coming on, which is why I lashed out at you. Sorry about that.”  
Greg checks his watch, his eyes widening.  
“Oh gee! We got to go to supper!” He grabs my hand, and we bolt out the door.

When Greg and I get to the eating area- a bunch of picnic tables lined up into sections- everyone stares at me. The whole area goes silent as Greg shows me to where all of my brothers are sitting. I notice a brother-around ten years old- move to the other side of the table and Greg sits down in his place.  
Great, I think, there is no room.  
I look back at the other demigods, who are back to eating, talking, and...... Throwing food in the gigantic fire in the center of the pavilion. I notice Sandra putting some onions into the fire, making it flare. I walk up to her, a little confused.  
“What are you doing?”  
She looks at me giving off a little laugh.  
“Sacrificing part of my food to the Gods- they like the smell.”  
“Okay?”  
These people are really weird, I think as I follow Sandra back to her table. Luckily there is a seat for me. As soon as I sit down everyone gasps dramatically, as if they just found out I am a murderer. I look at everyone quizzically. One of my brothers comes over and grabs my elbow.  
“Come to our table, sister. At Camp Half-Blood we eat at designated tables. There is one for each Cabin.” He whispers while pulling me over to the Dionysus table.  
Once we sit down- I on a lawn chair- Greg brings me over a plate of food; today the camp is having onions with a mysterious sauce, an assortment of veggies, and teriyaki chicken.  
Greg leans to whisper in my ear.  
“Next time get your own food please.” He says in a neutral tone.  
I was about to take my first bite, when one of my brothers motions to my plate then the fire. Realizing what he is trying to say, I take my plate over to the fire and throw in the chicken. Apparently you are supposed to pray to the gods.  
I close my eyes......  
Dionysus’s POV  
The henchmen drop me on my godly arse once we get to the destination. I can now open my eyes, but am only greeted with more darkness. My hands are still in the weird hand-cuffs, which have cut my wrists. I know they are bleeding because I can feel a warm substance trickling down my hands and onto the floor, yet I don’t feel pain.  
After about one hour of sitting on the hard cobblestone floor, I hear footsteps to my left, though it is hard to tell which way is which. The door opens with a loud creeeeeeeeeeeeak, shedding some light in. Three silhouettes stand in the doorway.  
“What do you want from me?” I demand. I hear the man in the middle chuckle.  
“I have already told you, but perhaps not in enough detail.” The man says sneeringly.  
“You, Dionysus, are the pull. You will bring her to me, or you will fade- that is the message I will be sending to her in a dream.”  
“One problem there. GODS CAN’T FADE THAT EASILY.” I reply coldly. The man gestures to my handcuffs.  
“Those handcuffs don’t only drain your energy, but they also drain your powers. Soon you will be just a helpless mortal again, and all of those years will catch up with you. And you will die.”  
“What happens to Dae?” I ask painfully. The man frowns.  
“Call her by her real name, she was named after you.”  
“What will happen to Diona Agatha Envis?!” I say through gritted teeth.  
“If she still hasn’t come, I will give her a deadline. At the deadline, I will speed up the magic of the handcuffs, Iris message her, and make her watch you die. She will be so mad; she will do anything to save you-including joining me.”  
The man makes an effort to leave, but just before he exits, I give him one question.  
“And if she still doesn’t join you?”  
He turns slowly on his heels.  
“Let’s just say, A loved one shall lie to forever rest.”

Later  
After the man and the henchmen leave, I swear and think negative things. Although, most of it is What have I done? Through all that negativity, I hear a voice. Her voice.  
Hey Dad, um, this is my first time praying, so I’m not sure if you can answer back. Anyways, I would like to thank you for claiming me, even though I have to sleep tonight with 33 brothers who have tortured me in the worst way possible just for a test. Yeah, I think everyone here is crazy, but even so I believe them. Why would I be praying to my Dad if I didn’t? Please, if you can answer me, I really want to meet you in person. I heard that you have a cell phone? Maybe you could send us a GPS signal, or whatever you Gods do. Also I was wondering why you ran away. I heard it was because you’re embarrassed to have me as a daughter.  
I’m done now, so do I say something like Amen or Namaste? Because I have no Gods damn clue.  
There is a pause.  
PS. Hope you like the smell of burning teriyaki chicken.

I replay her message over and over again before I come up with an idea. I had totally forgotten about my phone! I painfully reach into my pocket and search for my phone, hoping the man didn’t take the mortal device.  
Nothing.  
After about two hours, I lie down on the cold cobblestone ground, tired from today. I feel a little bump in one of my back pockets, a bump that is not my hands. I reach into that pocket and pull out a rectangular object. The screen of my cell phone lights up, creating a dim glow in the darkness. I dial my go-to person’s number. Luckily, Chiron picks up.

Dae’s POV  
My brothers are pigs. They talk with their mouths full, make a mess of the table, and I saw some of them attempting to turn their water into an alcoholic drink- but it didn’t work. I am just sitting here, laying low, when one of my brothers from the other side of the table yells.  
“Hey, SISTER, I challenge you to a belching contest!”  
A girl competing in a belching contest is apparently SO funny that one of the tables tips over, food flying everywhere, and splatting all over the idiots I call my brothers. Luckily, I was smart and moved my plate off the table before I could get splattered with food. I roll my eyes as Kacey yells at them. I tune out for most of it, but I did hear Kacey say:  
“You won’t be laughing when my Dad, Chiron, gets here!”  
At the mention of Chiron they (finally) shut up. Kacey orders them to clean up after themselves; of course I’m not cleaning up. Once they have everything back in order, I turn with a quizzical expression to my brother sitting next to me.  
“Who is Chiron?”  
He looks at me like I’m crazy, but then realizes I’m new at camp and softens his facial expression.  
“Chiron is Head Centaur, discipline advisor, and activities director. He takes care of problems, plans all-camp events -such as Capture the Flag- and delivers discipline. He also checks out new campers.”  
He takes a deep breath, as if he is about to deliver bad news.  
“Prepare to be grilled with questions. If you don’t give him truthful answers, he will take you to either the Hypnos Cabin, Hecate Cabin, or as a last resort, the Phobos Cabin. The Hypnos Cabin will put you to sleep and explore your thoughts and dreams. The Hecate Cabin will put a spell on you to compromise with Chiron -it also lowers your ability to question. And if you somehow still haven’t given any information, then the Phobos Cabin will show you your worst fear, and you WILL spill out everything.”  
“Okay” I say while processing this new information. I am starting to think I should start telling the truth, but quickly shake that thought away.  
“Where IS Chiron?”  
He sighs.  
“Chiron is also Head Centaur of the Party Ponies. He is at a ‘Party Pony Palooza’, which ends today.”  
Oh gods, I think as he gets up to put his plate away. As soon as he comes back, I open my mouth to speak, but he knows exactly what I am going to say.  
“You’re welcome. Most of the other brothers wouldn’t answer your questions.”  
With that he walks away.

I jump when Kacey blows a conch horn to get everyone’s attention. Once all eyes are on her, she smiles approvingly.  
“It’s Flag Friday!” She announces.  
“Our last Friday’s winners were the Hades/Apollo/Athena/Aphrodite team. Since The Hades Cabin’s Joselyn Hunt and The Apollo Cabin’s Sandra Anderson actually captured the flag, they are the two team captains!”  
Joselyn and Sandra make their way up to the platform, both smiling and giggling.  
“Please pick your teams. Joselyn’s team will be blue, Sandra’s will be red. Sandra, you get first pick.” Kacey says like she has practiced that sentence multiple times.  
Sandra smiles evilly at Joselyn.  
“I pick Hephaestus.” She says while trying to hold back giggles, Joselyn gaping at her. Joselyn huffs while turning back to the crowd.  
“I pick Dionysus” She says, her gaze on me.  
The picking process is long, I zone out after the main gods were picked, but the teams are:  
Sandra-Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Poseidon, half of the Zeus Cabin, and half of the minor gods  
Joselyn-Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hermes, half of the Zeus cabin, and half of the minor gods  
After the picking is done, Joselyn and Sandra walk off on different sides of the stage, everyone follows their leader. I begin to follow Joselyn, but Kacey stops me.  
“You don’t have a weapon yet! I almost forgot, but luckily I remembered or you would have been creamed out there!” She says while practically laughing.  
“Follow me, hopefully you’re not indecisive.”

There are so many weapons! I think in awe while Kacey explains how some people have a special weapon, while others pick at random. Amidst all of her talking, I see them. Two daggers, almost exactly alike hang on the wall. I feel a tugging in my gut, and I know those are the ones for me.  
I walk over and grab the hilt of the more elaborate dagger. This dagger is light and balanced in my hand. It has 4 gems running vertically down the first half of the blade; a medium gold, large green, medium gold, and small red.  
I pass it to my right hand, and as soon as it hits my skin, a glow comes from my wrist. Looking down at it, I notice a birthmark, one that I haven’t seen before. The thing that freaks me out the most is that the birthmark is 4 circles; a medium gold, large green, medium gold, and small red. Kacey doesn’t notice them when I turn to face her, still holding the dagger.  
“I think I found my weapons.”  
She sighs in relief.  
“Okay then! Grab the matching dagger and we will be on our way”  
I snatch the plain dagger that matches mine, and follow Kacey to the woods.

Evaline’s POV  
I listen intently while Sandra explains the plan. My job is to distract my friend from the Hermes Cabin, Ammon. My station is near a river. Advantage much? I think to myself. The Apollo Cabin is going to simultaneously shoot arrows as the Ares Cabin goes in to grab the flag.  
“Get into your positions!” Sandra orders.  
While in my position, waiting for the conch horn to sound, I see/over-hear Sandra talking to Joselyn’s boyfriend, Cole Phlegon from the Hephaestus Cabin.  
“You get what your job is?” Sandra asks.  
“You mean to distract Joselyn? Sounds simple. And I can do it in ANY WAY I want?” He says, smiling during the last part-either evilly or seductively, I don’t know.  
“Yes, any way you want. Just distract her!” Sandra runs back to her position, just making it before the conch horn is heard.  
It doesn’t take long for Ammon to find me. Well, he didn’t exactly ‘find’ me, more like ‘crashed into me while running away from an Ares kid’. I instantly use my advantage and make a wall of water around us. One he can’t get out of, but I can.  
“So, we meet again” He says while cocking an eyebrow. I laugh at his not-so-funny sense of humor.  
“Yeah, more like ‘so I run into you during a game of Capture the Flag for the millionth time’” I tease breathlessly.  
He still hasn’t moved from on top of me yet. Ammon notices a strand of hair over my glasses, and feels compelled to move it. At his touch, my heart skips a beat -not literally of course.  
Stop it! , I think. Then Why hasn’t he moved yet?  
Sandra’s words come back to me.  
Distract Ammon, whatever way possible.  
I match my hands to his, wrap my legs around his. He leans in closer as if wanting something more. Just as his face comes a few centimeters away, I roll him over and pin him to the ground. Ammon tries to get up, but I keep him pinned, and smirk triumphantly.

Meanwhile-Joselyn’s POV  
Grrr, stupid Aphrodite Kids, I think while keeping my stand. The Aphrodite Cabin kids really piss me off because they aren’t team players and only think about themselves. Fifteen of them are already in the infirmary passed out because of what they call an ‘injury’. I don’t think that chipping a nail while trying to file it-WITH THEIR WEAPON- is an excuse!  
Amidst my thoughts, I hear a rustle coming from the nearest bush, and immediately grab my whip. I hear a rumbling sound, then nothing. Suddenly I am surrounded by flames! But the forest isn’t on fire! I think, and then it occurs to me that I am in a cage of flames, probably rigged by a Hephaestus kid. A figure walks in through the fire.  
“I have finally captured you beautiful, and now that I have you, you are my prisoner of love. You’re mine and you will do as I say!” His Spanish accent says seductively.  
He tackles me, and I fall to the ground. He starts kissing me, and I start kissing him back. We end up making out, rolling all around the pit of fire, fighting for dominance. I finally pin him down on the ground, his hands above his head, and a surprised expression on his face. I smile down evilly, my braid just meeting his face.  
“I will be nobody's prisoner; in fact you’re mine now pretty boy.” I tease, but he just smiles.  
“You can’t get out, I can.”  
I give him a ‘you wanna bet?’ look, summon a firing skull, and throw it at the fire. Cole gives me a ‘WTH?’ look, and I reply with a look of satisfaction.  
“What kind of fire is that?” he asks in amazement.  
“It’s the fire from Hell, so only a child of Hades can escape from it, or put it out.”  
He leans back up to my face, and we start making out again.

Meanwhile-Sandra’s POV  
I lead the Apollo Cabin over to the area where I know Joselyn put the flag; at the bottom of a hill. Once at the top of the hill, I notice the new girl, Dae, guarding the flag 5 meters away (regulation). Her only protection is two daggers and a helmet.  
Where is her armour? I think.  
“Okay,” I whisper to my half siblings. “I don’t want to put her in any more pain than she has been in, so Saman-”  
“SAM!” she cuts off.  
“Sam is going to take Paul, other Sandra, Carren, and Johanne to play a sleeping hymn. Once she is asleep, I will move her out of the way while everyone else charges for the flag.” I say, but then add “no one try to attack, maim, and definitely not kill. Ares Cabin, that means you!”  
Suddenly the Phobos Cabin comes running towards the group. One of the boys smiles.  
“Sorry we didn’t follow orders, but it was too tempting to come get the flag.”  
I sigh in frustration.  
“Well, you can be our back up. If our current plan doesn’t work for some reason, you can help. Until I give you a signal, stay at the bottom of the hill on this side. Okay?”  
They all nod in agreement, all except for Aelix Phillips.  
“What do you mean doesn’t work?” He asks.  
“We are going to make Dae fall asleep, then get the flag.” Before he could ask any more questions, I yell,  
“GO!”

Dae’s POV  
So far, no one has attacked me. I haven’t seen anyone for about half an hour-when Joselyn told me to guard the flag openly and 5 meters. Now that I think about it, it’s stupid to put only one person in charge of guarding. Also, it’s getting dark out. In fact, I’m feeling sort of sleepy.....  
NO! I think, snap out of it!  
I hear a WHOOSH, and then a PING. Walking towards a nearby tree, I see an arrow sticking in the tree-still vibrating. I look up the hill and almost scream. Sandra has a group of siblings firing arrows!  
“1.... 2..... 3!” Sandra yells, on three everyone fires these odd looking arrows at me. Out of instinct, I deflect them with my daggers. A surprised look crosses their faces. They are out of arrows, and I deflected them all! Sandra says something to her siblings, plus some beefy people and some scary looking people, and then Sandra runs down the other side of the hill.  
I stand there, them looking in amazement at me and the arrows for about 5 minutes. Sandra finally comes back, but with more teammates. I hear a rustle in the bushes, and immediately raise my weapon. Greg, the Dionysus Cabin, and two other Cabins come out from hiding.  
“You were there the WHOLE TIME?!” I yell angrily.  
One of the Ares Kids yells “charge!” and everyone obeys.  
I notice that guy, Aelix, come running towards me with a worried expression and yelling something that sounds like ‘watch out’. Suddenly, someone body-checks me from the side, knocking me to the ground. The person rolls me onto my back, pins me to the ground with their knee on my stomach, and pulls out something from their pocket. I can’t see much due to the hardness of the impact. I try to focus my eyes on the object in their hand. I see it change into different things people fear; a spider, lightning, darkness, and then it decides on something I have a deep fear of......  
I scream as I watch the huge needle fill up with a murky green substance. The pursuer shoves it into my torso, pushing the plunger slowly for pure torture and dramatic effect. The last thing I see is Aelix shoving the person off me-the person ends up rolling down the hill- the needle making a gash in my torso, and then his navy blue eyes looking alarmingly at mine as they close.....


	9. Questioning

Chapter 9- Questioning

Dae’s POV

When I wake up, I am not fully awake. I can’t open my eyes, but I can hear everything. The first thing I hear is Evaline’s voice.  
“What exactly caused her to pass out?”  
I hear an uncomfortable shift near my head and then someone’s footsteps walk over, stopping close to me. A plastic covered hand grabs something and pulls it out from my arm.  
“Well, the Phobos guy’s weapon uses the enemies fear to hurt them. Dae’s fear is needles, so the weapon turned into that. The liquid inside the needle was harmless truth serum.”  
“Then how come she’s out cold right now if it’s harmless?” Eva questions.  
“When the serum has been injected at a high dosage quantity, you get this,” She pauses to, what I’m guessing, gesture at me.  
“Why did you take so much blood?” Eva asks curiously, causing me to mentally freak out.  
“A few of my brother’s checked it out earlier and they said that they have found some weird trace of something. We aren’t sure WHAT it is, but when Chiron gets here we are going to show him. Hopefully Dae will be up by then so we can see if she knows anything about this.”  
I hear a chuckle from the person near my head.  
“What Aelix?” Sandra demands, total seriousness in her voice.  
“Maybe a Prince should kiss Snow White, Whaddya say Smarty and Musy?” A male voice says from near my head. Before anyone responds, I feel soft lips pressing against mine, while a strong hand grabs my arm and another gently touches my face. I attempt to move mine and kiss back, but I only manage to wiggle my feet a little bit.  
“What the heck? That is not even possible!” Evaline exclaims clearly exasperated, while I hear Sandra giggle a bit in the background.  
I want to see who is kissing me, so I will my eyes to open. Luckily, my eyes start to flutter. The first thing I see is partially curly, black hair on top of a zit-less naturally pale face. The second thing I notice is the way he is holding my arm: strongly but not tight, as if he thinks that I might break. I also notice that the kiss is just a peck, as if he is saying  
Wake up! Please?  
I am finally able to move my whole face, so I start kissing Aelix back. His eyes open, shock written in his widening eyes, surprised I actually woke up. I start to feel light headed so I push him away lightly. He gets my message, and backs away to sit in his chair, His eyes never leaving mine.  
After about 5 minutes of awkward silence and intense stares from Aelix, I tilt my head in Sandra’s direction.  
“I feel light headed.” I say in almost a whisper. Sandra looks at Evaline, giving an unreadable-to-me look, to which Evaline picks up an empty glass and concentrates on it. Soon the glass goes from empty to a full glass of water. She walks over and thrusts it towards me.  
“You lost a pint of blood. Drink some water and you’ll feel better.” I willingly take it, gulping it down in a matter of seconds, instantly feeling better. I swing my legs off of the medical bed getting into a sitting position. I try to stand up but instantly feel dizzy and light headed. It’s as if my brain is made of helium. My knees buckle as the ground becomes alarmingly close to my face. But no impact comes, and I don’t faint. Aelix’s arms are around my waist, pulling me back up right. Aelix lets me lean on him for support.  
Evaline has one eyebrow furrowed and one eyebrow raised.  
“Prince charming to the rescue” Aelix smirks. “Maybe you should stick with sitting until you regain your strength.”

Sandra looks at Eva.  
“Do you mind going to get some food?”  
Eva jumps up enthusiastically.  
“Sure!” Eva says while exiting the room.  
After she leaves I start thinking about Joselyn...  
“Sandra, where is Joselyn?”  
Sandra stifles a laugh while Aelix continues to stare at me.  
“She got in trouble yesterday during capture the flag.” Sandra tells me, like a little kid telling on another kid to a parent.  
“What did she do?”  
“Josie got caught making out with Cole in a ring of fire. To top it all off, she got her skull ring stuck in his hair!”  
Sandra and I giggle while Aelix STILL stares at me; like a student studying a textbook- desperate for answers.  
When Evaline returns with a plate of food, she is not alone. A centaur with curly brown hair, a brown beard, and a name tag that reads Chiron on it, follows her into the room.  
“Your name is Dae, am I correct?”  
I really want to say yes, going through with my plan, but the damn truth serum decides to take over my body and tell the truth.  
“No, you are not.”  
Everyone gasps in shock, even Aelix who seems to be in a trance of some sort.  
I quickly snatch the plate from Evaline and stuff my mouth, not wanting to tell anything to them. Chiron laughs a little.  
“Evaline, if you don’t mind, could you go get Joselyn Hunt? You, Sandra, Aelix, Ammon, and Joselyn are going to question Dae”  
Eva sighs an ‘alright’ and exits the cabin again.  
Poor Eva, I think, so many people getting her to do stuff for them.  
I swallow my food, hoping Chiron doesn’t notice. Chiron grabs my plate of food before I can take another bite, then looks at me sympathetically.  
“I know you have truth serum in you, and it is wrong to use that against you, but since you don’t trust anyone enough to tell the truth, I am going through with this.”  
A guy with dirty blonde hair, a muscular structure, and a mysterious look on his face walks in. He is a little taller than Evaline.  
“Ammon, would you please escort our friend here to the big house’s meeting room for questioning?”  
Ammon’s mysterious blue eyes dart from me to Chiron and back again.  
“Yeah, sure”  
Ammon glides over to me, half forcing me up out of my seat. I let him escort me to the big house; still a little shocked, allowing his job to be easy.

While waiting for the room to be set up, Ammon and I stand in the hallway in silence for about 15 minutes. Ammon shifts his weight uncomfortably, leaning a bit more towards me.  
“Is it true?” he whispers.  
“Is what true?” I ask dumbfounded.  
“That you were injected with truth serum? And you are afraid of pain?”  
I really don’t want to tell him, but the truth serum figures someone is bound to find out during questioning.  
“Yes and yes.”  
Ammon looks at me doubting that I actually told the truth.  
“Okay then. Just to make sure you ARE telling the truth, I have a question. Do you have a crush on Aelix?”  
The question catches me off guard, and I stare at him.  
“Ex-CUSE me?”  
“Do you love Aelix Phillips?” he presses on.  
“Uh, yes. How did you figure that out?”  
He looks away from me, as if he is having a flashback.  
“You look at him the same way I look at Evaline. Pure love.”  
Just then his phone starts ringing.  
“Hello?... Yeah we are outside the room.......... You’re ready? Okay, be there in a few seconds.” He hangs up, slides his phone back into his jeans, and pulls me into the room.  
The room we are in is the Meeting Room. This time, there are only six chairs set up: The Dionysus chair on one side of a ping pong table, and 5 other chairs on the other side. 4 out of the 5 chairs are filled, with Joselyn, Aelix, Eva, and Sandra. The door closes behind me as Ammon takes his seat. I shuffle over to sit in the Dionysus chair, the temperature feeling as if it has dropped 20 degrees, all eyes on my movements. Evaline passes out sheets of paper filled with questions.  
“Okay, first question.” Evaline’s voice echoes slightly in the room. “What is your REAL name?” She looks at me expectantly, but I look away and mumble my answer, not making eye contact with anyone.  
“What is it? Speak up!” Joselyn urges.  
“Diona Agetha Envis” I say a little bit louder.  
Stupid Truth Serum! I think while Eva records my name on her paper.  
“Second question, Diona” Joselyn says, putting emphasis on my name.  
“When is your birthday and how old are you?”  
I whip my head around, much like a wild animal, and scan my eyes over everyone.  
“Why should I answer these questions?” I snap at them. This time, I beat the truth serum, but I feel as if it ‘let me have this one’, meaning it backed down just to have some fun. If they ask me another question, I will explode with answers. The truth serum is hard to fight, and my body is trying hard to over-power it.  
“Because you have the truth serum in you!” Joselyn tells me. She reaches across the table and taps her pencil on my head. “Remember silly?!”  
“Yes. I remember.” I huff at her.  
“Again, how old are you and when is your birthday?” Joselyn asks  
The truth serum takes over my mouth and before I know it, I feel like I’m in a cage while someone else is controlling me.  
“I am 16 going to be 17 on June 20th.” I reply flatly. The only thing I can control is my tone.  
“That’s in one week!” Joselyn exclaims while jotting down my answer.  
“Third Que-” Sandra starts, but I cut her off.  
“Let’s make a deal. For every question I answer, one of you has to answer one of MY questions.”  
Since I caught them off guard, they all look around nervously. Then, everyone looks at Eva for guidance. Eva notices all eyes on her, and sinks into her chair, covering her face with the papers. She pokes her eyes over the top, everyone’s eyes still on her. “I am ninja” She whispers jokingly. Everyone laughs, even me. Eva then sits back up while the group is laughing.  
“Sure, what harm could it do?” Eva says to me after everyone calms down. “Okay then,” I say, a bit shocked. I was not expecting them to actually allow it. “How old are you all?” Evaline looks me straight in the eye, her face 100% serious. “Ammon, Joselyn, and I are 15, almost 16. Sandra is almost 15, and Aelix just turned seventeen a few days ago.” Evaline answers. “Anyways, question three.” Sandra says while smiling like a pumpkin with all its teeth. “How did you come to camp??”  
The memory comes to me as a tidal wave; I collapse in the chair and start sliding to the floor......

I struggle for air in the depth of the Atlantic Ocean. All around me is black. Dingy darkness to my left, or is that my right? The blackness takes away my sense of direction, leaving me stressing for light and air. I soon realize that it’s been about 10 minutes from when I last had air. Am I dead?  
No, I am not dead, I think, I should be but somehow I’m not.  
A movement of current gets my attention. I hear someone laugh and feel something grab my ankle. I start kicking and thrashing my legs but that only causes more laughter.  
“Silly girl, open your eyes!” I hear a girl say. The girl’s voice sounds as if there is a glass wall between us. Wait! Did she just say open my eyes? I think with a gasp.  
I slowly open my eyes, one at a time. A girl comes into view. She has blue hair that floats all around her. She only has a bikini made of shells on, and where her waist should start is a fish tail. I stare in awe, gaping at the sight in front of me. I bring my hands up to rub my eyes wondering if this is all just a dream, but my hands meet with a weird squishy substance. I look at the girl, confusion implemented on my face.  
“I put your head in an air bubble. The air bubble has an unlimited amount of oxygen for you to breathe. If you are wondering where you are, we are approximately 20 ft. above Atlantis, the home of my master.  
I can feel my common sense dropping.  
“So, I’m NOT dead?” I ask dumbfounded.  
The girl laughs while shaking her head ‘no’.  
“Come on, let me show you around. This time don’t kick me!” She grabs my hand and pulls me to the big castle under the sea.  
My only knowledge of the sea is from The Little Mermaid, so I expect singing fish, LOTS of mermaids, a scarce number of mermen, and Poseidon to look like King Trident. Boy was I wrong. Atlantis looks like a normal castle that has just been dropped in a fish tank. The fish don’t talk, let alone sing, and there have been an equal amount of mermen-who have creepily tried to flirt- to mermaids.  
Once we actually get into the castle, I pass out from exhaustion and pressure change. I don’t get to see much of the inside.  
When I wake up, the first thing I see is a man with a bit of a goatee beard peering down at me with a judgemental look on his face-almost like he is weighing how worthy I am- but when he notices I’m awake, he quickly changes his expression. His sea-green eyes stare into my green eyes.  
“Hello little girl. Do you know who I am?” He asks curiously. His voice has a slight echo in the room, making him sound scary. But his eyes are friendly.  
“Umm, I don’t know, the Lord of the Sea?” My mind is really confused. Who is this guy?  
He orders a merman to come over and help me up. After some painful attempts I do the only thing I can. I faint. Before I go completely unconscious, I hear the merman holding me say,  
“Look at these things on her arms sir!”  
A hand grips my right arm.  
“Send her to camp. I have a suspicion that she is the ONE.”

Evaline, Sandra, Joselyn, Aelix, Ammon, Kacey, and a girl in pajamas are looking down at me when I wake up. All of them are looking down at me, concern plastering their faces -except the girl in the PJ’s, who looks like she is concentrating really hard. I prop myself on my elbows, and with some help from Aelix and Ammon, I am in a sitting position.  
“Ugh, why do I always pass out and wake up in different locations?!” I say frustrated. Whatever tension that is in the room disappears when I talk. They all chuckle, all except for the PJ girl who snorts. Kacey notices my look of confusion.  
“You’re in the Hypnos cabin. We all just saw your flashback with Kara’s help.”  
Without any notice, Evaline grabs my right arm. I notice the mark, but by the way she is examining my arm, I don’t think she can see it.  
“What the heck?” She mutters.  
“What is it?” I innocently ask her.  
“In your flashback, my father took your arm and said something about marks on it!” She says, still contorting my arm.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I tell her, not wanting to admit I see them. Ammon puts a hand on Evaline’s shoulder.  
“Let it go. He was probably just seeing things.” Ammon says lightly, but cautiously.  
Evaline decides to let it go, and drops my arm. Aelix and Ammon help me stand up, making sure I’m balanced before letting go. Kacey thanks Kara-who is back to sleep- on our way out.  
“Where are we going now?” I ask no one in particular.  
“We are going back to the meeting room to resume the questioning.” Sandra calls from in front of me.  
“You didn’t think you were off the hook, did you?” Aelix asks playfully while cocking an eyebrow.  
Kacey’s POV  
I feel bad for Dae. This is only her second day at Camp, and she has been treated like crap! I don’t know if I should send her on the quest for Dionysus, which would probably overwhelm her. Frankly, I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to run away, burst, or gone mentally insane! I am also glad no one has been mean to her, other than the truth serum guy and her brothers.  
Oh! I forgot to file a report about the truth serum guy! I think while walking into my office. I trot over to my computer and begin the report.  
Just when I get to the part about Aelix shoving his brother down the hill, and punching him in the face, I hear a knock at my door.  
“Come in” I call, and then save the report. Nico stalks into the room, rather awkwardly, and sits down on one of the chairs. The chair squeaks under his weight.  
“I have some interesting news about Dae.” He tells me, his eyes not daring to meet mine. I glare at him suspiciously.  
“Okay and that is...?”  
Nico brings out his cell phone and starts to play with it.

“You know how children of the Big Three have dreams about the Great Prophecy? Well, I think Dae is part of the current one.”  
“What made you come to this conclusion?” I ask cautiously.  
“Listen to this dream Josie had.”  
His touches a button on the mortal device, and Joselyn’s voice is heard telling Nico about her dream. When it is over, we sit there in silence, me gaping at the cell phone. After about 5 minutes of deep thinking on my part, I gather myself up on the outside, although I am freaking out on the inside.  
“I have had that assumption. I had that feeling when she chose a dagger as her weapon. The last line of the prophecy is: Only a cursed dagger shall end this quest.”  
Nico looks me in the eyes this time.  
“No. She needs to be more trained”. I say “Speaking of training, can you deliver this schedule to Dae? It’s her training schedule, until I know who is going on the quest.”  
Nico takes the piece of paper on the table reluctantly, and stalks out of the room, leaving me to ponder about the quest.

Dae/Diona’s POV  
It’s been 20 minutes full of questions, truth being spilled, and multiple fights with the serum. I am starting to feel it fade a bit, and Sandra looks as if she knows that.  
“Question 30, the last question,” Aelix says, a smile dancing on his lips. “Are you single?”  
Ammon shakes his head, as if to say really Aelix? Joselyn and Sandra giggle, and Eva has on a look of pure annoyance.  
“Aelix, that’s the third question in a row you have asked that’s not on the sheet!” I say observantly. He smiles playfully -or seductively?- and looks down at the sheet in front of him.  
“Okay then, the REAL question is... Do you like being questioned and having all your inner secrets spilled out to a bunch of people you don’t know?”  
At first I think he is kidding, but then I find everyone’s eyes on me.  
“That’s a really specific question,” I say slowly, “And, no I don’t.”  
Everyone looks at me sympathetically, just when the door opens. A goth boy steps through the door, shuffles towards us, and thrusts a piece of paper in my direction.  
“Here’s your schedule. Go start training. Supper is in an hour.”  
“When did I wake up?” I quizzically ask as I turn to face Sandra.  
“Around three o’clock.” She says after calculating while looking up. I look at her in amazement.  
“Right now, it is almost five o’clock. What do you have for training right now?”  
I glance down at my schedule. At that exact moment, a cell phone ring goes off. Joselyn gasps, then pulls out her phone and starts to text. She looks at me while jokingly tsking me.  
“You have Combat with my super hot, Spanish accented boyfriend! He just texted me asking where you are.” She turns to Nico. “Brother, do you mind taking her there?”  
Nico gives her a deer-in-the-headlights look, making Joselyn sigh.  
“I’ll take her!” Aelix suggests soon after. Before anyone can respond, he jumps up, slides across the table- accidentally kicking Ammon in the cheek and punching Joselyn in the eye- grabs my wrist and practically drags me with him. I glance back to see Sandra aiding Ammon’s already bruised cheek while Nico and Eva are trying to keep Joselyn calm.

Nico’s POV  
Relief washes over me when Aelix volunteers to take Dae to training- although he’s going to pay for punching my sister in the face. I don’t like being alone with any girl other than Kacey (because I have to), Joselyn (because she is my little sister), and my wife Thalia.  
Once Joselyn has calmed down a bit, and Ammon has fallen asleep, I show the others the recording. Near the end Joselyn looks at me furiously.  
“You TAPED it?!” She says through gritted teeth. Eva quickly saves me by changing the subject.  
“You think that was Dae?” Sandra asks.  
Josie nods quickly.  
“Well, it is actually logical. The flashback she had about 20 minutes ago, and this recording is of the same context. The dream happened before the flashback. If you where to put in chronological order, the events from the dream lead up to the flashback.” Eva says matter-of-factly.  
“Remember on the beach I said that she is the girl from my dream?” asks Joselyn. Eva and Sandra look as if they are having a flash back. I snap my fingers to get them back in the present.  
“I have good news, and bad news. The bad news is that Kacey and I think she is a part of the prophecy. The good news is that the quest isn’t going to her.” I tell them, but am only met with blank faces. Ammon shifts his weight in his chair.  
“Who’s it going to then?” Ammon asks groggily. Evaline chuckles, but tries to hide it.  
“Kacey is going to announce that. Quite possibly after supper.” I glance at my watch. “Speaking of which, I have to go help Kacey cook. See you.” I say, rather rushing my sentences. I really just want to get out of this room.  
I attempt to leave, but Josie comes up from behind me, awkwardly hugging me. I of course hug back, but it’s odd. My sister is about 5 inches taller than me, but I’m 23 and she is only 15 almost 16.  
When she finally lets me go, I quickly walk over to the kitchen.

Dae’s POV  
“Okay everyone, partner up. The goal of this exercise is to get the opposite person into a position where they can’t reach their weapon. Got it? You better munchkins!” Cole orders his class as we walk in. The door shuts with an ear-splitting SLAM, causing unwanted attention towards Aelix and I. Cole looks over at us with a huge grin on his face.  
“Oh! Hey Dae!” Cole says pleasantly. He turns to the class, which is sitting on the floor, and ushers me to join. I quickly walk over, feeling out of place. These people watch me like hawks the whole time.  
“Guys, gals, and anything else lurking in the room, this,” He gestures to me “is Dae, daughter of Dionysus. She will be joining this class.” You can hear a pin drop in the silence that follows. Cole looks hastily at me, then the crowd, who I now notice are staring at me as if they are starving and I just so happen to be a Big Mac from McDonald’s.  
“Go do what you were told!” Cole orders through a megaphone made from tape, pipe cleaners, a pair of broken ear buds, and twigs. Everyone scurries into groups and begins fighting. I am about to join a group, but Cole has different plans.  
“You’re going to start target practice, aiming at a target before a real person, okay?” He says while guiding me to a different part of the arena. Cole hands me two little pendants for a bracelet, shaped in a T.  
“What am I supposed to do with pendants?” I ask Cole. He grabs one back from me, and pulls on the vertical line of the T, which unsheathes a dagger. I stare in awe.  
“What are you waiting for? Start training!”  
In about the first twenty minutes I have exploded 2 target dummies, gone through drills- such as blocking, tackling, and pinning- and taken a water break. Now Cole thinks I am ready to join the class of 10-12 year olds. He gets everyone back into a circle around him, including me.  
“Okay. Now, we are going to do a different activity. Sparring! So get into groups of three; two people to spar, the extra person to make sure it doesn’t go too far.” Cole looks at a group of beefy looking boys and girls. “That includes you too, Ares cabin! Now munchkins, Go!”  
As soon as we all get up, one of the younger girls look at me strangely. In return, I give her a ‘What are you looking at?’ glare. She and a group of girls, probably her posse, walk over all with distaste written on their faces.  
“You do know that skirts aren’t good for fighting.” The leader snarks at me. I totally have forgotten about the skirt!  
I have worn this for two days straight! I think while looking over the girls’ heads-since they’re shorter than me.  
“May I remind you that I am older than you,” I reply as calmly as I can.  
“So? That doesn’t mean you are tougher!” One of the posse girls replies rudely.  
“Cole! May isn’t wearing the proper geeeearrrrrr!” the other posse girl calls to Cole in a whiney, tattle-tale voice. Cole jogs over, looks at me apologetically, then turns to one of the Aphrodite kids motioning them to come. They oblige.  
“Can you sketch our friend DAE- not May, Angela- some more appropriate gear for training on your magic sketchbook?”  
A boy quickly sketches some shorts, which come to real life instantly. Cole grabs them while patting the boy’s back. The boy quickly runs back to his group. Cole throws the pants to me.  
“NOW, will there be a problem ladies? There better not be!” Cole glares at the girls, clearly upset with them. The girls scurry away, but not before rolling their eyes and flipping their hair in my face. I would have whipped my thigh length hair back, but restrained, not wanting to get on Cole’s bad side. I may need him to do me a favour sometime in the future...  
“Where can I change?” I ask my voice small and quiet. Cole points out some bathrooms.  
My first sparring partner is one of the Apollo kids. Cole yells ‘go!’ and I pin my opponent to the ground in two seconds flat. She looks up at me with wild eyes. I get up and begin to walk towards Cole -who is maintaining the leadership board- when an arrow whizzes past my head. I look back to see the Apollo daughter pointing another arrow at me. Walking back over, I say  
“Did you hear about what happened in Capture the flag? Since you are an Apollo kid, and they attacked me with arrows. I deflected ALL of them.” I tell her bitterly. The girl shoots the arrow at me, but I deflect it effortlessly in one smooth motion. She glares at me, and the other partner gives me a ‘please don’t hurt me’ look.  
“I’m going to ask Cole if I can level up.” I leave the two girls, heading, once again, towards Cole.  
“Excuse me, Cole? Can I move up to my age group please?” He gives me a skeptical look and then quickly remakes his megaphone.  
“Okay munchkins! Gather around.” The students obey and form a circle around Cole and I. Cole grabs his flaming spear.  
“If you beat me, then you can move up.”  
A kid yells “3... 2.... 1.... GO!”


	10. oopsy Daesy

Chapter 10- Oopsy Dae-sy

Joselyn’s POV

“Dae! Why are you on top of Cole?!” I say half serious half laughing. When I walk into the arena, Dae has Cole pinned, a dagger at his throat, his spear 20 feet away, and Cole’s sweat plastering his hair to his face. Dae only has a few little droplets. Cole looks up at me.  
“She hit the dummy’s bull’s eye on her first throw! Then she almost killed a student, so I told her if she could beat me then I would bump her up to a higher class!” Cole calls to me, astonishment in his hot Spanish accent that I love. I chuckle at the two.  
“Cole, how could you let a BEGINNER GIRL beat you?” I mock. Then I notice the victorious gleam in Diona’s eyes and start to feel scared.  
Is she capable of killing a demigod? I think to myself.  
“Diona? Kacey wants to see you, so could you please get the dagger away from his throat and come with me?” Diona looks up at me, the viscous look draining from her eyes. I relax when she sheaths her daggers.  
“What does Kacey want to see me for? I still have half an hour to beat up these peo-“she stops for a second “I mean I still have half an hour of Combat class left!”  
I shrug.  
“It’s Kacey. Who knows what she wants?” I say nonchalantly. That seems like a good enough answer for Diona, so she gets off of a breathless Cole, heading for the door. I help Cole up, and give him a peck on the cheek.  
“Really? You let her win?”  
I tease but am met by a look of total seriousness.  
“That girl may be a trypanophobic, but she is viscous!” I stare blankly at Fireboy, not quite sure how to reply.  
“Joselyn?” Diona calls from the door, her voice sounding childishly annoying.  
“I’m coming” I call back while looking from Cole’s (not normal) serious face to Diona’s expectant one. I run out of the door leaving Cole not himself.

Dae’s POV  
Kacey’s office is crowded when I enter. Chiron and Kacey are standing near the window, the exact same stance and facial expression on-concerned- while most of my brothers are goofing off. I take my place near the only brother I really know; Greg. We make small talk- Hi, What’s up? , how are you, what do you think Kacey wants us for, etc...- until all of my brothers are here.  
“Quiet down, quiet down!” Chiron commands, but not many people listen to him.  
“SHUT UP!” Kacey yells, everyone obeying her instantly. Chiron gives her a stern look, then one of approval.  
“I know you all are wondering why I have called you here. I have some bad news and you should all be the first to know.” Chiron says to us. “Dionysus sent me a distress call last night. The only things he could tell me are that a god has captured him, and he has these magic handcuffs that drain away his immortality and powers. If he turns into a mortal, his years will catch up with him and he’ll die.-” Chiron takes a deep, shaky breath as dread spreads through the crowd “He doesn’t know where he is, but thanks to a GPS signal, we know the area he is located.”  
“I thought you don’t like Dionysus!” One of my brothers yells. Chiron rolls his eyes.  
“I have worked with him for most of my life. When he wasn’t drunk, or sleeping with your mothers, he was a really good guy.”  
No one yells out a rude comment this time. The grief suddenly hits my brothers like a ton of bricks, and almost everyone starts freaking out. The older ones start cursing and swearing, while the younger ones start to cry. Although Greg over powers all of the voices with his Greek cursing. To tell you the truth, I am the manliest in the room. I know I should be freaking out right now-like a normal person when they find out their father was abducted- but I’m mostly in shock. While all my chaotic brothers are showing their vulnerable side, I stand off to the side and gape at the sight before me. Chiron and Kacey try to calm them down, which works for everyone except Greg (of course).  
“WHY SHOULD I BE CALM? YOU TELL ME MY FATHER IS MISSING THEN TELL ME TO KEEP CALM?! I’VE KNOWN HIM SINCE I WAS FIVE!!! FOURTEEN YEARS WITH HIM- MORE THAN THE AVERAGE DEMIGOD GETS!!!” Greg yells- his face turning as red as a tomato- and then storms out of the office in a huff. Pure silence follows, but Kacey ruins it with a sigh.  
“I guess I better go find him and calm him down before he causes the world to end...” She states dryly. Kacey starts to head towards the door, but I stop her in the doorway.  
“Perhaps I should go. I’ve plenty experience calming people down. My mother would get pissed off, and I learnt how to approach someone and all that stuff.” I say hopefully. Kacey thinks about this, glancing from me to her father and back again. Chiron shrugs.  
“It’s worth a try”  
I mentally high five myself while heading to the spot my mother would go..... her bedroom.

I find Greg lying down on his bed, his head in the pillow with his black hair spread out like nerves from the spinal cord. I approach him slowly, cautiously. He must sense me because he makes a shooing gesture in my direction.  
“Go away Derek!” he whines into his pillow.  
“Um, actually it’s me, Dae.” I softly whisper while sitting down in a space on his bed. I start to gently rub his shoulders and upper back, attempting to unintenify them. He groans.  
“Uhhhh don’t give me that Dae crap. You were named after our father, so honor it!” He snaps at me. I start rubbing a bit harder, causing a wolf-bear groan to come from deep in his throat. He relaxes a smidgen more.  
“Anyways, I came to ask if you’re okay.” I tell him, getting back to why I’m here. He gives me an incredulous sideways look, propping himself up on one elbow.  
“No I’m not okay little miss ray of sunshine!” Greg childishly exclaims at me. I look at him sympathetically.  
“Tell me what’s upsetting you.” I command lightly.  
Greg spills about his waitress mother who fell in love with Dionysus, how most of Dionysus’ children are ‘accidents’ and how his mother kicked him out at age five, not wanting him in the first place. He tells me how lucky he was that she dropped him off at camp instead of letting him fight monsters without training. In the end, he ends up sobbing into my shoulder while I rub his back in a circular motion, saying ‘there there’ and ‘you just cry all you want’.  
The weird thing is, after Greg finishes crying he starts playing with my long raven curls.  
“Thanks for, erm, letting me get that out. Most of our siblings would tell me to suck it up” He says in a horse tone. I shrug while inhaling deeply.  
“It’s nothing.” I say nonchalantly. Suddenly, Greg’s arms wrap around my waist firmly. He repositions himself so that his legs are in a V, pulling me to sit in between his legs. He leans back against the bed frame, forcing me back with him, but I pull away and look at him.  
“Greg, what are you doing?” I ask cautiously, but my brother doesn’t reply. He turns my head so it’s facing forward. Then he places a hand to my forehead, pushing it so the crown of my head is on his collarbone. I start to get nervous.  
“Are you in one of your mood/temper swings?” I ask alarms in my gut “blaring get the hell out of there!”  
He starts playing with my hair again. “This is what I call brother and sister BONDING.” He replies innocently.

We lay there in the Dionysus Cabin for about ten minutes. The minutes seem like hours due to the heavy silence of the messy cabin. I can feel that Greg is still playing with my hair when a group of brothers come stampeding in.  
“IT’S SUPPER TIME!” They all cheer, but stop dead in their tracks when they notice the position we are in.  
“What the Hades? Is this some gross brother-sister relationship?” One of the older boys asks. In response, I quickly attempt to get away from Greg, but he anticipates my move and grabs my waist firmly. My other brothers must realize that I didn’t mean for this to happen since Greg was being emotional. A few of them start looking SUPER nervous.  
“I’m showing my sister who runs this cabin, and how strong I am- just to make sure she doesn’t try anything.” Greg tells my brothers from behind me, making the group look even more nervous. One of them steps forward, eyes bulging and a forced-calmness on him face.  
“Greg? Let Diona go please.” He says, trying not to let the nervousness out of his voice, but failing. From behind me, Greg shifts and stiffens up.  
“What if I say no?” He replies darkly, my common sense kicking in and letting me know how this could end. The brother confronting Greg looks back mumbles something to one of my siblings, who bolts out the door. The confident brother turns to face us.  
“Did you take your medication today Greg?”  
Medication?! I didn’t notice him take any medication! I think as I feel another arm slip around me. Through the window, I can see three silhouettes- one centaur, two humans- running toward the cabin.  
“No I didn’t. There wasn’t any left!” Greg says through gritted teeth. I feel Greg’s strong arms start to squeeze me. Greg is taller and larger than me, so I get pulled into him a little bit. At this point, Chiron and the boy burst through the door. Chiron hands an older brother some equipment, while the some brothers position themselves behind Greg and I. The ‘leftovers’ make a barricade around the bed. The brothers behind us hold Greg down- almost the same way they did with me- except Greg still has a hold on me. A boy approaches the bed with a needle in his hand. Even though it’s not pointed at me, I still start to tremble. Greg senses this movement.  
“It’s okay little sister, I won’t let them hurt you!” He whispers, hysterically protective, sending shivers down my spine; like icicles slowly creeping downward making sure to touch each vertebrae.  
I look over to one of my siblings, mouthing What do I do? Help me!. One of my brothers mouths: One our cue, leap as far away as possible!  
I nod slightly letting him know I agree. Jump off the bed? I think. Hopefully someone is going to be ready to catch me if I fall.  
The boy stabs the needle into Greg’s arm, causing him to shriek, curse in Greek, and let go of me. Guessing that’s my cue, I leap from the bed as far away as I can. The bad news is: I fail at landing and trip. The good news is someone caught me.  
Sandra helps me regain my balance.  
“He is lucky I didn’t shoot him in the head with an arrow!” she exclaims jokingly. I look back at the group. They somehow got Greg to stop cursing and he is now passed out on his bed. I turn back to Sandra.  
“I feel bad for him. He didn’t exactly ask to be a psychopath! Our bonding time was good until the cabin came in.” I explain to Sandra sympathy in my voice. Her face turns serious, and she looks at me astonished.  
“You do know when we came in his butcher knife was in his hand ready to strike?!”  
“What!?” I reply in shock.  
“Greg was going to kill you! We THINK it is because of him being a psychopath, so Chiron has orders the Apollo Cabin to administer him some medication that weakens his psycho-urges for 24 hours. With the pill in him, the worst he can do is torture.” The last part she says pointedly at me. Sandra’s eyes go sad, and she frowns. “The Greg, who isn’t a psychopath, the way he was before he got abducted, was very nice and caring and sweet.” Sandra explains as we head to supper.  
“Wait, he was abducted?” I ask still a bit shocked.  
“Yes. A few years back, someone kidnapped him on his way to camp. He was missing for ten months, and when he came back, he didn’t exactly ‘come’. His captor dumped him on the side of the road in a bag unconscious. Apparently, he was unconscious the whole time, so he knows nothing about what happened. After that, he was never been quite the same. He doesn’t remember anything from his experience with the captor, and we believe the captor did something to him-something that changed him from loved one of the whole camp to psychopath. The Apollo cabin has tried everything we could, but to no ado.” Sandra almost sounds heartbroken.  
"Wow" is the only thing I can say. We walk in silence for a few minutes towards...... the Aphrodite cabin?  
“Uh, Sandra? Where are we going?” I ask as I stop dead in my tracks. I seriously don’t want to have another makeover done by them EVER again.  
“Well no offense, but you are starting to smell weird and you are still wearing clothes from two days ago.” She notices the panic in my eyes, and immediately says “This time, you are in charge of who does what.” I sigh in relief.  
A few girls run up to us as we walk in.  
“Diona! You are going to be all cleaned up and smelling nice by the time we are through with you!” Brittany tells me.  
Through with you, Brittany said, she actually called me by my real name. I think as a bad feeling enters my gut.  
“Okay, so you are scheduled for a fitting, cleansing, and haircut.”  
“HAIRCUT!” I yell. I look over to Sandra but she just shrugs.  
“I don’t need a haircut.” I say while turning back to face Brittany. She makes a tsk noise with her mouth while circling me, and stops behind me. I feel some hair being lifted off my back.  
“When curly, your hair is down to your waist-imagine how long it would be straight! What are you, Rapunzel?” Brittany rudely informs me.  
“Actually, we call her Snow White.” Sandra counters through a giggle fit. Brittany rolls her eyes, walking back to face me.  
“Sandra you may leave now” She says, not making eye contact with Sandra, and flipping her shoulder length blonde hair. Sandra leaves muttering something about Aphrodite kids being like the dark side of the moon to her.  
Brittany grabs my wrist painfully, and I wince a bit- she is stronger than she looks.  
"Come on; let's go get some random strangers to touch you in places you won't like." She smiles evilly at me. I remove my wrist quickly from her grasp.  
“No! I won’t go!” I yell rather childishly. Soon after, hands grab my arms from behind me. Brittany laughs at my surprised expression.  
“Too bad, because you seriously stink!” The people with me in their grasp lift so my feet are off the floor. They ignore my protests, and don’t seem to be hurt from my kicks as we all enter the bathroom.

We come to an agreement about my hair length- it is now to my waist when it’s STRAIGHT. They bath me (luckily they let me wear a bathing suit) and also draw up a new wardrobe approved by me- I admit, most of it is purple and some crazy outfits for parties. We finish just when someone opens the door. A sweet aroma of food enters the cabin, causing my stomach to growl.  
“You missed supper, so I brought you some food.” Aelix says while setting the tray of food on a table. He looks at me, his blue eyes raking me up and down and a smile curves onto his lips.  
“What happened to Dae?” He jokes, but nods approvingly while sitting down on the pink sofa.  
“They cut my hair!” I playfully whine, and then pout for dramatic effect. He stands up from his seat, walks over dramatically, and then takes a whiff of my hair.  
"Smells like…artificial grapes?" Aelix looks at me questioningly. I roll my (mascara filled) eyes and point to Brittany.  
“She put it in there, not me. They are the ones stereotyping me up.” I say in defense. Brittany chuckles as all eyes fall on her.  
“I just HAD to make her smell like grapes! She is the only Dionysus kid we can actually experiment smells on!”  
I don’t like how she said ‘experiment’. I let it pass, turning my gaze to the food Aelix kindly brought.  
"Thank you so much for bringing my some food," I tell him with as much gratitude I can muster. He blushes deep red—the only real color in his face for now- puts his hands in his pockets and shrugs.  
“It was nothing” He says casually. He turns to leave, but when he goes to open the door, it is locked.  
“You can’t leave the Aphrodite cabin until y’all do something for me!” Brittany calls in a sing-song voice to Aelix. Not moving he calls back/  
“That depends on what I have to do.”  
I look over at Britt, and see a sinister look in her innocent blue eyes.  
“You have to kiss Diona, full lip-lock”  
I shouldn’t have taken a sip of grape juice. First of all, it is most likely a joke, and second of all because I do a spit take, causing purple juice to go EVERYWHERE.  
“What did you just say?!” Aelix and I command in unison. Britt rolls her eyes while sighing loudly.  
“I know you two like each other. I can FEEL it-LITERALLY. Now show me some lip action, or you’re not going to be able to leave.”  
I glance to Aelix while wiping the juice from my chin, and find his whole face red- with anger or embarrassment I don’t know.  
“Come on! Y’all do want to get out of here right? Get moving!” Brittany sing-song tells us. Without a warning Aelix strides over, places one hand at my waist the other behind my neck, dips me, and our lips collide. His soft lips caress mine passionately. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself into him. When we part- what seems like 5 minutes of bliss- we both stand arms-width a part with our shoulders up near our ears, and a look of mesmerisation painted on.  
“Wow” is all Aelix can get out, making Brittany laugh evilly then gives us a look of satisfaction. There is an awkward silence for about ten minutes while I finish the supper of pasta, Brittany dumps detergent on the purple stains, and Aelix contains his composure. Aelix doesn’t dare meet my eyes and I don’t meet his due to the fact Brittany was right, and we might kiss again. Ten more minutes pass, I decide to go to the bathroom-which is very PINK- but when I come out, Aelix looks me in the eyes and chuckles.  
“You mouth tastes like grapes.” He cheerily informs me.  
“No s*** Sherlock!” I say while stifling a laugh.  
“Okay lovebirds, I gotta boot ya out. The rule is no one is allowed in a cabin that isn’t their own after 8:30 pm. It is-” she glances at her watch “8:25. See ya later!”  
Aelix gives her a skeptical look.  
“Did you open the door?”  
Brittany nods. Aelix grabs my hand, dragging me out of the Aphrodite cabin, but then swings me around to face him. I don’t dare meet his eyes, but he cups my chin forcing me to look at him.  
“Do you like me for real? Sometimes the Aphrodite cabin plays tricks on your heart when you are in there.”  
I clear my throat of an air bubble that forms as he talks.  
“Yes, yes I do. Do you like me?”  
He pushes the hair out of my eyes, making sure I can see his sincere gaze on me. Aelix finishes the move with pulling my head towards his smoothly. His lips taste like grape juice from earlier, and when we kiss we are in sync as if each of us knows what the other will do next. Our faint little peck turns into make-out, and I move my hands to ruffle his hair while Aelix moves his to the small of my back.  
We hear a gasp, loud and dramatic, then a squeal of excitement. We break away and turn to see Sandra,-who is blushing and covering her mouth with both hands- Joselyn, -who is jumping up and down- and Evaline- who is not looking at us but I catch her smile a couple of times. I feel my cheeks start to heat up, and notice that Aelix’s are fuchsia pink.  
“What are you doing here?” Aelix demands lightly.  
"We came to fetch you two Kacey says she want the older kids to come to the amphitheater once the cabin leaders have put the little ones to bed.” Sandra explains through her hands. I start to say something, but Evaline guesses what I am about to say.  
“All cabins are already done except for the Aphrodite cabin.”  
We all look into the Aphrodite cabin to see that the younger ones are just getting into bed now. We watch Brittany take a group of older girls and boys out of the cabin. Joselyn and Brittany exchange wicked glances of hatred. After all of them are out of the cabin, we all head towards what I'm guessing is the amphitheater. Along the way there, Joselyn leans over to whisper  
“I hate that kid” distaste crisp in her voice, her gaze on Brittany.

Chiron and Kacey are in a heated discussion on the stage while we pile in. Joselyn spots Cole—who is sitting with Ammon and (who I am guessing is) Ajax—and runs up to sit directly behind Ammon, Ajax and (now) Aelix.  
Everyone is a buzz, chatting away. Joselyn starts playing with Cole’s hair, which causes the ends to turn orange.  
“Make sure you don’t have another skull ring in, ok?” Cole jokes, not turning his head. We all giggle, even Joselyn.  
A hush suddenly goes over the crowd, turning our attention to the stage. Chiron, Kacey and another centaur-around Kacey’s age- walks up to the microphone. The other male centaur kisses Kacey on the cheek, in return receiving a harsh look from Chiron. Kacey smiles at the boy, and then faces the crowd.  
“I know you all are wondering why we have called you here, but don’t worry, no one is in trouble.”  
She pauses, waiting for dramatic effect. She hands the microphone to Chiron.  
“Mitchell Bishop is going to do the honor of issuing the quest. But before we do that I shall ramble on about it and let you guys feel the suspense.” Chiron takes a big breath. “This quest isn’t like any others. This one is to save Mr. D. Now, I got a distress call from him asking for help- and we all know that he doesn’t like showing his vulnerability. He told me that we don’t have much time to find him, but more details will be given to our heroes embarking on the quest. The heroes will hitch a ride to the first location in Percy’s van at supper time tomorrow.” Chiron pauses for about ten seconds, everyone leans in closer in anticipation. Chiron hands the microphone to the Mitchell Bishop. From my seat, all I can see of him is dirty blonde hair that looks like it has been smoothed back by hairspray, along with dark olive skin.  
"Thank you Chiron" Mitchell says with a strong Turkish accent that's not too thick. He has a smile dancing on his face as he scans the crowd. He stops in my direction, making my heart start to hammer against my chest and my hands get wet and clammy. It’s going to be me; It’s going to be me I think.  
“The quest leader is Joselyn Hunt!”  
My heart sinks as I watch Joselyn bolt up to the stage. I am proud of her, but I just can’t help feeling envious of her. It is MY father she is going to try and rescue, so I should be allowed to go! Evaline and Sandra are cheering along with everyone else- everyone except the rest of the Dionysus cabin.  
“Who is going to be coming with you?” Chiron bellows in the microphone, trying to be louder than the cursing from my brothers. Joselyn looks into the crowd with a Cheshire cat smile.  
“Evaline Malone-Poseidon Cabin- and Sandra Anderson- Apollo Cabin” Joselyn exclaims like she has done this multiple times before.  
“You girls shall start packing in the morning and then head out at supper. Since you are all Cabin leaders, you will be expected to assign someone to take over while you aren’t present.” Kacey yells over the triumphant cheers and protests of displeasure.  
“Okay, that concludes this get together. Please start to make your way to bed.” Chiron orders, but no one listens, so Kacey grabs the microphone from him.  
“GET OUT, LEAVE, AND SHUT UP!” Kacey yells at everyone. On cue, the demigods start filing out of the amphitheater making sure to congratulate Joselyn, Eva, and Sandra on the way out. I keep my head down to hide in the crowd-which is easy because most people are around my height. As soon as I get outside, I dash to the Dionysus cabin.

All of my brothers are in a circle around my bed (All except for Greg who is still passed out on his bed). I stop dead in my tracks and cock my head to the side. They all move aside revealing my bed.  
My daggers are hanging up on the wall; the bed spread is purple with a black vine pattern on it. A suit case is under the bed.  
“Ta-daaaaaa!” They all cheer. I am stunned speechless, the only thing I am able to say is thank you. I then eye the suit case.  
“What’s in the suit case?” I ask tilting my head.  
“Its girl’s clothes. The Aphrodite Cabin brought them for you.” The brother-whom I have come to realize, is Derrek- explains, putting emphasize on ‘girl’.  
“Well I certainly am not going to wear some of your clothes now am I?” I joke. They all laugh quietly not wanting to disturb the little ones. All twelve brothers come in for a group hug with me in the middle. I try to hide the fact that they're choking me with Axe cologne.  
Once the hug breaks, I take a deep breath of non-axe filled air, and then jump on my bed. While waiting for the supposed girl’s bathroom I decide to play with my daggers. My hands fumble, and the fancier dagger lands near the weird birthmark but not without cutting me there first. The cut is really small but I feel an incredible pain shoot from the mark to my heart and back again multiple times. I let out a little cry of pain, but try not to draw attention to myself. Derrek hears it and comes rushing to my side. His eyes widen at the site of my arm.  
“What the hell? What’s wrong?” I lie down and thrust my arm in his direction.  
"I…don't…know…Make…it…STOP!" I am just able to say. Derrek pulls out some rubbing alcohol and quickly pours it all over my arm. The cut heals immediately along with the pain, but it doesn’t help this odd feeling in my gut. I release a breath I didn’t realize I am holding, and thank Derrek. He kisses my temple while getting up off the floor.  
“No problem little sister.” He throws some pajamas onto my lap. “Go get changed little sister.” He orders.  
“Little sister? I think I’m older than you!” I reply. “I will be seventeen on June 20th which is in almost a week.”  
“Oh yeah?” He says while cocking an eyebrow “I turned seventeen on June 7th, making me older than you.” Derrek says matter-of-factly. He straightens up. “Now, go get changed and into bed, or else.”  
“Or else what?” I demand jokingly.  
"Or else…the whole Dionysus cabin will team up with Hermes and play a prank on you! Trust me you don't want that," He jokes.  
“Fine.” I say while I get off the bed and head to the bathroom. Before I enter, I hear Derrek say  
“Oh and Diona? Don’t play with daggers anymore, okay?”  
I stifle a laugh as I walk into the axe-scented bathroom.  
When I get to bed, sleep comes easily, but at the price of nightmares…


	11. Stow-Away

Chapter 11-Stow Away

Diona’s POV

All thirty-three brothers are staring at me, 66 furiously gleaming eyes with furrowed brows. They all have the same ‘What the hell?’ expression on their faces, topped off with their hands on their hips, red faces, and dead silence.  
I am just waking up. I rub my eyes, ridding them of sleep. This action only causes my brothers to grow angrier. I look up at them innocently not knowing what the fuss is all about.  
“What?!” I demand rather grumpily. I look at each and every brother in the eyes. Confused, I sit up but stop due to the feeling of an extra arm on my stomach. Lying right beside me near the wall is the 5ft 7 inches pale man with curly-ish black hair and navy blue eyes, sleeping. As if knowing that I am looking at him, Aelix gives off a huge snort, and then goes back to lightly snoring.  
“It’s true about Daughters of Dionysus” Greg thinks out loud, a huge smirk on his face. “You are all sluts!”  
All of my half-brothers, even the ten year olds, laugh at Greg’s comment and my reaction; my mouth hangs agape.  
“For your information, we are both fully-clothed!” I spit out furiously then pull the covers off for emphasise. I glance over at Aelix hoping he isn't giving any reason for my idiotic brothers to go on with the assumptions and name-calling. Luckily, he is wearing a black shirt with matching shorts. Again, as if on cue, he gives off a huge snort-bigger than the first one- before waking up. He bolts into a sitting position, accidently slamming his forehead on the top bunk. He curses in Greek while bringing a hand up to his head. All of my brothers start laughing their heads off. Aelix looks around, unfamiliar with where he is—until he sees me.  
Aelix goes from confused to ‘Oh crap’ as he hurriedly looks from me to my brothers then back again. Greg steps forward with a pissed off vibe to him. Aelix looks up at him like a puppy begging for mercy. I watch in horror as Greg unsheathes his butcher knife and points it at Aelix’s Adam’s apple. He sits on my legs so I can’t move.  
“Start talking Mr. Hotshot” Greg venomously sneers at poor Aelix.  
“Greg, put the butcher knife away and Aelix will tell you everything.” I say cautiously, my voice shaking, and then glare at Aelix. “You ARE going to explain, right?”  
The boy in question’s face has a mask of glistening sweat; a sign that he is nervous. He nods his head quickly, but not too quick, wary of the shiny object. One wrong move and Aelix could die. Greg sheathes his knife, Aelix and I visually relax. All of my brothers sit down—some on my bed, some on the floor, and some on ME—to hear his explanation.  
“I was on my way back to the Phobos cabin after getting a drink of water. As I walked past the Dionysus cabin I heard a wretched scream—like someone was getting murdered. I ran in to find Diona," he gestures to me, "screaming, sweating, tossing, and turning rapidly. I went over to her to attempt to wake her up. When I touched her arm, she immediately stopped screaming and seemed to relax. I pulled my hand away and she went back to screaming and yelping. Since I’m from the Phobos Cabin, I can take people’s fears away temporarily, just as long as I am in contact with them. I decided to climb into bed with her ONLY to make her stop suffering.” My heart rate starts speeds up and I find myself almost in tears that he would be THAT caring. When he finishes talking, my brothers weigh this in for a few minutes.  
"Eh, I believe him." Greg thinks aloud again. All of my brothers disperse; the ones on my bed jump off and the ones on the ground rolling and moaning as they go.  
Aelix and I sit on my bed for a few awkward seconds, until I swing my feet off the bed and stand.  
"Well, I have to go change clothes. You can, uh, let yourself out." I tell him trying not to be overly rude. We both look at each other and his posture is totally relaxed. A smile dances on his lips.  
“Kind of like how I let myself in?” He inquires. I smile as I pull out my suitcase of clothes. I open it up to find the purple, green, multicolored, and various stereotypes Dionysus clothes. The only non-Dionysus clothes are my jeans/shorts (yet some of those are purple) Aelix leaps off the bed swiftly and crouches next to me. He pulls out a purple shirt that says ‘Life of the Party’ in green neon letters.  
“Even though this is stereotype, I think you should wear it.” He thrusts the shirt in my direction. “It will bring out your marvelous green eyes” He adds with a blush after slight hesitation.  
"Um, thanks," I mumble as I pull out some jean shorts. I hear snickering coming from the corner. Aelix stands up while sighing.  
“I sure hope no one is spying on us!” He calls, causing more snickers. I watch as Aelix sneaks over to the corner and turns it while yelling ’BOO’. Fearful, surprised screams follow, and then the sound of sneakers thumping against the floor fills the cabin—sounding like a herd of elephants. Aelix walks over with his hands in his pockets. Our gazes meet and we both burst out laughing.  
“Brothers....” Aelix manages to get out amidst his laughter. I shake my head and shrug.  
“Can’t live with em’, wouldn’t be able to have fun without them.”  
I am still smiling as I change clothes, ten minutes after Aelix leaves.

"Okay, Diona. All you have to do is show me I can throw a challenge at you and you will be able to rely on survival skills I taught you in the first half of class.” Sandra explains. We are currently on the beach—the sun is shining, there is a slight breeze, and off in the distance I can see some mortals sailing along with mermaids in the water. The mortals of course can’t see the merfolk or us due to the Mist.  
“You ready?” Sandra asks.  
“Wait, what?”  
Sandra looks at me funny. She shakes her head and passes me a huge bag.  
“Basically, use whatever is in this bag to save you.” She instructs. I look at doubtingly.  
“Save me from WHAT exactly?” I counter. Sandra snaps her fingers, causing the temperature to go from perfectly warm to scorching hot. I can already feel the sweat on my forehead. Sandra smiles evilly.  
“Good luck. FYI, Evaline and Josie helped me decide what to put in the bag.” She informs me before sprinting away. I decide to open the huge bag.  
There is probably some tools and stuff for survival I think to myself while fiddling with the zipper. I dump the bag onto the now-smoking-hot sand and out falls fifty rolls of duct tape......

“Okay class, today we are going to learn how to master your powers. During this session you may find out about powers you had no idea were even possible." I hear Aelix explain from outside his cabin. I am a little late to his class due to survival 101. What I learned from that class is DON’T mess with an Apollo kid.  
“Only from finding your true inner self can you really be one with your powers. Begin.” He orders, his masculine voice sounding enticing, making you want to listen. I hear shuffling from inside, along with an aura of power emitting. I decide at this point to walk in.  
The walls of the Phobos cabin are a weird murky green color and all the bedspreads are black with golden mazes. Aelix is sitting on a chair, legs crossed, and still in his pajamas. All seven of his students are in a semi-circle on the floor with open textbooks. The door slams behind me, sounding like a volt door closing. Everyone looks up to see what the racket is. Aelix looks up last, and when he sees me his face goes from relaxed to concerned. The students snicker at me making me look down in embarrassment.  
"Holy crap! Diona, are you okay? What happened?" Aelix asks sternly, while jumping quickly off his perch. "Nothing happened, I'm fine." I mumble, but I can tell by Aelix's face that he doesn't believe me. He strides over, grabs my sunburned arm, and holds it up. I give off a little whimper of pain, trying not to start crying in front of everyone. "No you are most certainly NOT fine. I can see that." He drops my arm once he realizes that he is hurting me, but crosses his arms—clearly I'm not going to slide my way out of telling him. "I was at survival class 101 with Sandra as my teacher. The first half of class was easy-she taught me different survival methods. The second half was the tricky part. Sandra took me to the beach and gave me a huge bag. She then used her powers over the sun to intensify the UV rays, and left. I opened the bag to find 50 rolls of duct tape. I had no clue what to do with them so I lay on the sand until Sandra showed me mercy. I got sunburn on my front side, and because the sand was hot I burnt my back side.” I explain while trying not to take offense of his smile. The class bursts out laughing and I can feel heat in my cheeks. I'm blushing yet they can't see it because of the sunburn. It’s at this point that I realize he isn’t smiling because he’s happy; it’s because he feels bad. Aelix turns to the class.  
“Class, I don’t think any of you would be laughing if you were in Diona’s place right now!” Aelix yells over the laughter. The class immediately shuts up. Aelix rolls his eyes at them then turns his attention back on me.  
“Did Sandra give you anything to help the sunburn?” He asks looking dead serious. I nod quickly while searching my bag for it.  
“I didn’t bother putting any on because I didn’t want to be late for class.” I admit as I pull out the vial on lime green liquid. Aelix quickly snatches it out of my hand. He leads me over to the bed labeled ‘Aelix Phillips’.  
“Lay down on your stomach.” Aelix commands. I give him a skeptical look.  
"Why?" I ask, dragging out each sound. He arches an eyebrow while placing his hands on his hips.  
“How else are you going to get the hard-to-reach-places on your back?” Without letting me answer he points to the bed. "Now lie down and relax." I obey him. I hear a few snickers as come from the seven classmates as Aelix pulls up my shirt, not daring to go past just below my chest. I jump at the touch of his cold, aloe covered hands causing him to pull back.  
“Sorry, did I scare you?” Aelix sounds concerned.  
“No, it’s just cold” I lie slightly. It is cold, and he actually did scare me. He gently and slowly places his hands on the small of my back and begins to spread it out. At first, my skin feels as if it is on fire, but after a few minutes, it starts to relax. The mattress is made of foam so I sink into it a bit. The pillow-Aelix’s pillow- is squishy like a solidified cloud. I tilt my head to the side to look at him. He doesn’t notice this movement due to intense concentration.  
Why is he concentrating so hard on something so easy? I think.  
When he finishes my back, Aelix exhales in relief and stands up. He looks at me expecting me to get up, but I don’t.  
“Okay, I’m done.” Aelix informs me yet I still don’t move. I wiggle my legs hoping he gets the message.  
“Oh, you want me to, um, put some on your legs?” He asks rhetorically, his voice cracking a few times. I nod and close my eyes.  
“Just, don’t kick me, okay?” Aelix tries making a joke but it comes out as nervous.  
“I’ll try not to, but if you tickle me I will.”  
Before he starts, I hear some footsteps approach us. I open my eyes to find a girl no older than twelve with dirty blonde hair and a natural smirk on her pudgy face. She looks a bit like, but not very much. Aelix turns to her.  
“Yes, Lydia?” He is back to his perky self. Lydia crosses her arms in front of her chest.  
"Two things," She snarls at him "One: You shouldn't be flirting with your students. Two: I can’t find any powers. Being a Daughter of Hermes sucks!”  
"One: Do you think it is easy to concentrate with a sunburn? Let alone a FULL-BODY sunburn?! Two: They will come. Everyone has a variety of powers that come at different times." He tells her without being rude or mean. The girl pouts, knowing that she won't win this fight. Lydia saunters away in a huff.  
Five minutes later, I hear soothing music come from nearby. The music is slow, peaceful, and makes me want to cuddle up to a fire with a warm blanket and sleep. My eyelids start to feel heavier and heavier, and I start to blink rapidly. The blinking soon stops due to my eyelids feeling like concrete. My breathing starts to slow down until I am breathing deeply. I feel myself slip into sleep…..

“Diona Agetha Envis!” I hear my mother yell from downstairs.  
Ugh, crap! I think What does she want now? Setting down my Biology homework I hastily walk downstairs. My house is 3 floors, each floor the size of nine standardized master bedrooms. My bedroom is located near the back of the house, near a bathroom and a guest room. The stairs splits up these rooms from my mom’s bedroom, another guest room (currently owned by my mom’s new boyfriend, Ryan) and the laundry room. Downstairs, the kitchen is under the guest room, the living room is under my mom's room, and the stairs lead into it.  
I find my mother and her new boyfriend sitting down on the couch reading the newspaper. My mother looks up angrily when I enter.  
"Care to explain this?" she spat at me. I slowly walk over to read the newspaper headline:  
Girl Destroys School  
The article is about the school I currently am enrolled at- MacHencia High- and how I supposedly exploded it. I set it down on the coffee table, annoyed at the lies.  
"It wasn't my fault! Please hear out for once mother!" I demand, but she only looks madder.  
“That was the seventh school you somehow managed to damage! There is only one school left that is close to here; Campbell High!” She yells at me.  
What she doesn’t get is that I wasn’t the one exploding the school, it was the fact I keep meeting people who want to kill me. Then again, I wouldn't exactly call them people; all of them turned into these things. The weirdest part is no one seems to see them for their true form.  
“Mom, it wasn’t my fault! These weird things seem to find me and try to kill me! That should be enough for you to believe me!” I scream back. My mother’s new boyfriend puts his hands on my mother’s shoulders and starts to massage them. Mother looks at him as if telepathically saying: Not the time. He whispers into her ear to which she sighs.  
“Fine, you can try but I doubt it’ll work.” Mom huffs while standing up. She dashes past me, puts on her coat, then turns to face me.  
“I’m going out for groceries so you two can bond, okay?” She calls to me as she heads out of the door. Once Mother is gone, I glance over at her boyfriend skeptically, and he returns it with a smile. After the car is out of the driveway, he motions for me to come closer to him.  
"I have to do my homework; tons of Bio 101 to study for a test tomorrow." I quickly say then bolt up the carpet stairs, almost tripping a few times. I swiftly enter my purple-just-about-everything room and resume studying. Studying is hard with dyslexia, but I have been able to recognize and memorize just about every word from the dictionary.  
A knock on my door draws my attention. “Come in” I call, still looking down at my textbook. My mom’s boyfriend walks in and sits next to me on my bed.  
"Yes, Mr. Clark?" I dryly say to him, still looking down at my textbook and pretending I can read.  
“Please,” Mr. Clark says while grabbing the textbook and pulling it lightly out of my hands. “Call me Ryan.”  
I glare at him as one would at a murderer.  
“Okay Ryan, what do you want?” I ask venomously. Ryan moves his light brown hair out of his blue eyes, bringing an olive-colored hand to point at the textbook.  
“I’d help you with your homework, but your school exploded. I don’t think you will have that test tomorrow.” He states, my cheeks burning pink. “Besides, with your dyslexia you can’t read anything.” Ryan says simply. I bug my eyes out at him.  
“How did you know I have dyslexia?” I ask slightly furious and a bit incredulous. His big blue eyes meet my emerald green ones with one hundred percent honesty.  
“Because I have it to.”  
I gape at him. I'd never expect a 6ft, 3 body builder like him to be dyslexic  
“Surprising right? I also have ADHD so I’m pretty messed up.” Ryan admits while smiling down at me. I then realize something.  
“Why would you help me study if you can’t read it yourself?” I question, but Ryan shrugs.  
"I wanted to strike up a conversation with you. Speaking of conversation, if you don't mind me asking, how much do you know about your dad?”  
My mouth goes dry at the mention of my dad, and I get a tingly feeling in my chest.  
"I know that he skipped out on my mother while she was in labor and she never saw him again. I didn’t even get the chance to see him.” I don’t realize I’m crying until Ryan wraps his arms around me in a comforting embrace.  
"Was there anyone after that?" He asks but then adds, "If you don't want to tell me, that's okay."  
"In the length of my sixteen years, I have seen 20 other guys come and go. There was one who came off and on for 5 years. That was probably the happiest I have ever seen my mother. His name was Aaron Warell. I particularly didn’t like him because he gave off an aura of power that made me feel small.” I get lost in a few flashbacks of Aaron beating on me, calling me weak, pathetic, and various other names. Five minutes pass, Ryan gets up off the bed he looks down at me and puts a firm hand on my shoulder.  
“You seem like such a sweet girl, which is why I’m going to hate killing you.” Ryan’s eyes cloud over with red going from sweet to murderous. Before I can reply, Ryan is on top of me with a sword at my throat and my wrists above my head with one hand and most of his weight on my legs. I struggle a bit, but Ryan only laughs down at me.  
"Foolish girl. You can't win against a MAN!" Ryan spit at me. This really ticked me off. Not only did he spit on me but he also said men are more powerful than girls are. I remain quiet though so I can wait for the right moment to slip free.  
“My master has sent me to kill you.” He informs me, purring almost cat-like.  
“Why would you want to kill me? What do you get out of it?” I counter breathlessly. He removes his weight from on top of me. Thinking this is my chance, I attempt to jump off the bed, but Ryan still has a hold of my wrists. He picks my up by my wrists and slams my back against the floor. The impact doesn’t affect me at first, but then Ryan resumes his position causing each and every vertebrae scream in pain. I wince at the searing pain swarming my nerves. Ryan tilts his head to the side.  
“You haven’t proven to be what he... expected. Just like the first one.”  
The first one? Who is that? Is he crazy? Yes. Suddenly a buzzing noise emits from Ryan's pocket. He looks down at it in annoyance. Here’s my chance. I use his falter of focus to head butt him. Not expecting this, he lightens his grip on my arms. I am then able to release one of my hands and punch him hard in the crotch. He lets out a noise that can only be described as sounding like a monkey trying out opera. He lets go of me entirely, a look of genuine surprise on his face. I then flip him on his back, pushing him down by his shoulders. He looks up at me exasperatedly.  
“You may be just a man, but I am a woman, and women are definitely capable of defending ourselves.” I glare down at Ryan while turning his own weapon against him.  
“Are you going to kill me?” Ryan snarls.  
"No," I say while glancing at my open bedroom window. A plan quickly forms in my head. I use the hilt of the sword to bonk him on the head, knocking him out. I throw his sword into the tree, then return to pick him up. I carry him downstairs in a piggyback position- he is really light for someone his age.  
As I set him down on the couch, I grab the phone and dial 911. A female picks up immediately.  
“911, what’s your emergency?” A kind voice answers. Whatever composure I have been keeping slips away and I break down into tears.  
“My mom’s boyfriend just attacked me after she left the house for groceries. I was able to defend myself and actually have him passed out on my couch. Can you send some help? For him, not me. I'm, fine—just a few bruises." I sob a bit, but am able to get back my composure.  
“Okay, where is your house?” The lady says after a hesitation. I gulp.  
“I…. um… don’t know. I am dyslexic so I can’t read the signs.” I tell her, a bit embarrassed. The kind lady on the other end talks to someone else in hushed tones.  
“DO you know your home phone number so we can track your house?” The same woman asks. I blurt it out to her.  
“We are on our way.” She pauses but then gasps.  
“One last thing, dear; what's your name?" She exclaims on the other end.  
“Diona Envis”

When my mom comes home, the police and ambulance are gone along with Ryan. Her arms are full with groceries and she struggles to come into the house. I quickly rush over to her aid. While grabbing a few bags I swiftly give her a peck on the cheek.  
"Thanks, Daesy," she breathes. Once all the groceries are in the kitchen, we head to the living room. Mother freezes at the entryway, eyes wide open.  
“Where... The HELL... is Ryan?” Mother asks through gritted teeth.  
“He decided to go home. Ryan wasn’t feeling good” I reply calmly, but the look on her face lets me know she doesn’t believe me. She stomps over, grabs me by the color, our noses just a few centimeters away.  
“What did you DO to him?” Mother snarls.  
“Nothing, I swear! He just wasn’t being himself” I exclaim to her. Here’s the thing about my mother and the past few boyfriends she has had:  
They have all tried to kill, harm, or kidnap me. Mother doesn’t know this because they have all attacked me under her radar. (One of them even attacked me on the way to school.) For the first few, I didn't see it coming; but after a while they start to form a pattern. After the first couple of days—usually 10—the guy would try either to get close, alone, or both, and then they would either to get close, alone, or both, and then they would try their plan.  
So, of course my mom thinks that I somehow got rid of them, therefore she fears me. She tries to seem like she isn’t but I can see it in her eyes. She stares at me for a few minutes.  
“Let’s say I did. What would you do? Call the cops? They don’t have any proof. Hurt me? I will just call a social worker. Face it mom, you can’t do anything!” I point out venomously. She lets me go.  
“I can punish you without abusing you.” I raise an eyebrow while crossing my arms in front of my chest. “Like enroll you at an all-girl high school where they have a dress code and strict rules” She smiles like a Cheshire cat while I gape at her. My mother goes into her purse and pulls out a piece of paper.  
As she hands it to me and I realize it’s a brochure. The title says:  
Campbell High; All girls, all spiffy

“Diona? Diona? Diona?” Aelix says while shaking me awake. My eyes flutter open to be greeted by navy blue eyes. I groan while sitting up and stretching.  
“Where am I?” I groan, still not fully awake. I look around and find out that I’m in Aelix’s cabin, lying on his bed. My arms, legs, back and face aren’t sunburnt anymore (thanks to Sandra’s magic aloe-vera and Aelix’s kindness) and is back to its regular pastiness. I look over to Aelix, whom I just realize is smirking at me.  
“What?” I ask, my brain still trying to revive from my nap.  
“Two things," He says while trying not to laugh "One: You do realize that you fell asleep during training plus the class is almost over, right?”  
I gape at him, which only causes the dark-haired boy to roar laughing. I impulsively summon up vines and trap him to the floor. I glare at the boy and manipulate his brain to go fuzzy-as if he has had too much alcohol. Lastly, at the snap of my fingers, his brain goes back to normal except for the fact he feels as if he has a hangover. I stand, walk over to stand above him, and smirk back at him.  
“Do you think I need training with my powers?” I ask rhetorically. He looks me straight in the eyes. An image flashes in my brain. I undo the vines and collapse to the ground, hot tears streaming down my face. Aelix rushes over to my side. He wraps his arms around me in a hug and pulls me toward him.  
“Why did you do that?” I demand into his chest through sobs. He pulls out a tissue box and starts to wipe my face.  
"I'm sorry. I usually don't inflict people's fears on them, but it was self-defense-”  
“I was GOING to let you go!” I yell at him. The picture of the doctor stabbing a huge needle into my arm flashes before my eyes, causing a shudder to run up my spine.  
“I’m sorry, so very, very sorry! Please forgive me?” Aelix sincerely pleads. “Part of your training is learning how to overcome and/or deal with your fear. I'm sorry, but I panicked. Please stop crying I don’t like seeing you cry.” Aelix sounds like he’s close to tears.  
"I forgive you, just DON'T EVER do that again!" I whisper.

After a few minutes of sitting on the floor, I finally stop crying. Aelix still hasn't moved from his position; in fact he looks pretty comfy.  
“Aelix? Why won’t you take away my fears?” I ask curiously. He looks down at me.  
“I am not allowed to do that. I swore on the River Styx that I wouldn’t fully take away someone’s fear unless given permission.” He explains.  
“But wouldn’t that make things easier? Demigods wouldn’t fear anything!”  
“Without fear, all demigods would be in danger. Fear is a bunch of emotions tied to your fight-or-.flight system. Demigods would go extinct." Aelix explains I give him a 'yeah, right' look.  
“Do you really think I’m going to face a doctor with a needle as a weapon?” I sarcastically ask. He thinks about it.  
“Well, you did fight my brother, whose weapon turned into a needle. Plus there are some pretty vicious Apollo kids….” He thinks aloud. "Oh! And the government has had some suspicions about all these accidents—monster attacks—and if they ever found out, you would be their best target due to your fear of doctors and needles.” He adds and I gape at him. Suddenly a beeping sound comes from his pocket making both of us to jump a bit. We get and walk to the ‘main area’ of the cabin. His class is all focused on their powers; an Apollo kid has multiple vials in front of him with various liquids, one of my brothers is trying to turn water into alcohol but to no ado. The Hermes kid from earlier has a paper and pen and is writing something down. She puts it in an envelope, and then throws it like an airplane. It sprouts wings and flies out the window of the cabin.  
“Good job Lydia! See, Hermes kids DO have powers!” Aelix congratulates her. Lydia’s face turns sour and she looks at me.  
“Slacker” she says venomously. I decide I’m through with her crap. I conjure up some vines and make them grab Lydia. She struggles to get free, kicking and thrashing her body in different directions. I tighten the vine’s grip, which makes her stop. I snatch a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the son of Apollo, pouring it onto the vines. I manipulate the alcohol to break free of all the other chemicals and aim it at her face. Before I squirt it at her, I turn to see Aelix, shoulders slumped forward, mouth open, in utter awe. The rest of the class backs away.  
“Lydia, I don’t want to, and WON’T deal with your crap anymore. No name calling and no comments unless they are positive. Got it?" I snarl at her. She nods her head quickly.” Aelix finally snaps out of his little trance as I let Lydia go.  
“What the Hades?” Aelix practically yells. “You are not allowed to use your powers in this class unless someone attacks you!”  
“But she DID attack me! There are more types of attacks than physical. There is emotional and verbal, and I am NOT going to put up with it," I retort. The silence that follows is broken by Aelix’s phone ringing again. He glides over to the door and makes an ushering gesture.  
“Class dismissed”

My next class is Strength, taught by Ajax Victor, Sandra's boyfriend. It is being taught somewhere in the woods. Since I have no clue where that is, I head over to where Aelix said Sandra would be; the beach. (But not before getting changed into some baggy clothes.)  
When I get to the beach, I am hit with heat rays, sweat instantly appearing my forehead. About 10 meters from my current location is a bunch of kids in a lean-to made from duct-tape  
Why hadn’t I thought about that earlier? I think while face-palming myself. I look more closely and notice something up in a nearby tree. She climbs down the tree and starts to inspect the lean-to. She nods approvingly and dismisses them. I choose this moment to run up to her.  
“Hey Sandra, do you mind showing me where Strength class is? Because I have no clue where it is” I ask her.  
“Of course I can! And maybe Ajax will go easy on you today because your fresh meat!” She cheerily informs me.  
Fresh meat? What’s THAT supposed to mean?  
And off we go.

Ajax’s strength class is small. Sandra, Evaline, Ammon, Cole, Joselyn, and I are the only people in it. It is located in the middle of a small clearing in the forest. At the center of the clearing is a stump.  
When Sandra and I arrive, everyone is in a circle around Ajax—who is on the stump with his arms crossed. Ajax smiles for a second at the sight of Sandra, but he soon goes back to stern.  
“Who’s this?” Ajax asks, referring to me and jumping off the stump gracefully. His green eyes examine me as he walks over and begins to circle me. Ajax has golden blonde hair, sun kissed skin, and a seemingly permanent smirk on his face. His build is one of a personal trainer.  
After about three circles, Sandra runs up to him and wraps her arm around him.  
"Honey, this is Diona Envis!" she delightedly informs him. Then, as she walks to join the group—who are all staring at us, by the way—she whispers 'be nice' into his ear. Ajax continues to circle me.  
"How old are you?" he states rather than asks. I gulp nervously.  
"S-s-sixteen" I stutter. I hear him chuckle from behind me. Suddenly, I feel hands on my shoulders and his breath on my ear.  
“Do I make you nervous?” Ajax whispers. I shake my head ‘no’ rapidly.  
“Hold out your arm and flex your muscles.” He demands once he is front and center. I do as I’m told. He walks over and feels the (little) muscle I have in my arm.  
“Weak” Ajax spits at me, then turns to the class “Twenty push-ups everyone!” he yells.  
Sandra, Cole, and Eva finish first, soon followed by Ammon then Joselyn. They form a circle around me to watch. Ajax leans down to my face.  
“Come on Envis! That’s only FOUR!” he yells at me. Joselyn smacks him on the arm.  
“Dude, she hasn’t had as much training as the rest of us! Cut her some slack!” Joselyn defensively demands. I hear a finger snap then see someone’s sneakers near me. I feel something placed against my back as I come out of push-up number 5, then 150 pounds. I collapse to the ground, bringing the weight down with me. My lungs feel like balloons someone took a pin to.  
“Oh please. I’m not THAT heavy, am I?” Cole’s Spanish accent jokes. Sandra quickly ushers Cole off me and rolls me onto my back. I start to hyperventilate, blink rapidly and feel light headed.  
"Deep breaths, Diona!" Sandra commands. I try to take deep breaths, but it sounds as if I have a harmonica lodged into my trachea and I feel like I’m breathing through a straw. Ajax is suddenly by my other side, taking control of the situation.  
"Sandra—give her an inhaler. Joselyn get ready for possible shadow travel. Cole, set yourself on fire. Diona is freezing cold. The rest of you, give her space" He orders while checking my pulse.  
“Hey! I’m the doctor, shouldn’t I be the one giving directions?” Sandra counters while forcing the inhaler into my mouth. She presses down on it, letting some medication into my lungs. I instantly feel relief as my lungs fill with air. Sandra pulls out a stethoscope and checks my heart. After a minute, she sighs in relief.  
"She's good!" Sandra calls over to Evaline—who is holding onto Ammon's arm—and the rest of the crowd. Joselyn walks over so that she is kneeling next to me. She pats me on the back, grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
“Girl, you give us quite a scare!” She exclaims. Everyone, including me, laughs. Then her face perks up. “Hey! You didn’t faint this time!” She adds, causing everyone to roar laughing.  
Ajax gestures for Cole and Ammon to come over as he stands up, and the girls to back up a bit. Ammon looks over at Evaline, who just notices the position she is in. She pulls away quickly, her cheeks turning a bit pink. Ammon—shocked emotionless—jogs over. Cole and Ammon take my arms while Ajax positions himself behind.  
“Alrighty boys, on three”  
A silent 1, 2, 3 passes through them and they haul me up. I start to feel a bit dizzy, so Sandra and Evaline help me over to the stump. Eva grabs a water bottle then passes it to me.  
"Thank you," I mumble before chugging the 750ml of water down.  
"You look cold" Sandra observes, and it's true. Eva presses her hand on my right lower arm—causing my birthmark to tingle a little—and nods. Her hands are hot compared to mine.  
“You need some heat?” She asks raising an eyebrow. I nod while crossing my arms and shivering slightly. Cole, whom is a few meters away, hears this and perks up.  
“Watch out Eva!” He calls before engulfing himself into a ball of fire. Eva moves out of the way, a fire ball just missing her, landing near Sandra. She collapses to the ground, hiding her face with her hands. Despite my state, I rush over to her side—looking like an idiot walking in a zigzag pattern—to kneel beside her.  
“What’s wrong?” I ask softly. I get a glimpse of Sandra’s face, which is red and tear-stricken.  
“Cole! WHAT THE HELL?!” Joselyn screams while stomping over to him. I hear a smacking noise soon followed by Cole whimpering and muttering "Ow."  
“Cole, you ASS! You know that Sandra is afraid of fire!” Joselyn shrieks. I glance over to see Joselyn pulling the Latino boy into the forest, a bruise forming on his tanned face.  
I feel Sandra lean into a hug to cry on my shoulder. I start rubbing her back while letting her cry. Evaline and Ajax approach us and kneel beside Sandra and I. Ajax taps the crying girl on the shoulder, holding out a tissue box. Sandra looks at him thankful but goes back to lightly sobbing. Ajax whispers something in Eva's ear and she nods in reply, both glancing over at Sandra a few times. Ajax stands up, but not before picking Sandra up wedding style. Sandra buries her face into his chest while he carries away. I turn to Eva.  
“How did Sandra’s parents die?” I ask, a little mad because I still haven’t had answers. Eva’s face fills with sadness.  
“Sandra’s parents died in a fire when she was nine. They died right before her eyes. Nico and Joselyn went to investigate—you know, see if a monster had to do with this—but during their investigation, they heard someonescreaming. Joselyn found Sandra crying from her bedroom window. She has been scared of fire ever since," she explains sorrowfully. I hear a male voice swear, but is soon over powered by Joselyn's ticked off screams. After about 10 minutes, I hear some angry stomps, which I soon learn belong to Joselyn. She storms into the clearing, Cole in tow with Jose's whip tied around his arms and mid-section. Cole’s dark hair is tousled and he has some bruises on his face, arms, legs, as well as a few scratch marks. Joselyn looks the same as before, except her face is red—if she was any madder steam would probably come out of her ears. Ammon stumbles out behind them, a bruise on his knuckles.  
“Nobody messes with MY friends, not even my boyfriend!” Joselyn venomously informs us, her eyes seeming to glare into our souls. For all we know, the daughter of Hades really COULD be staring into our souls. I smirk.  
“Chicks before dicks?” I suggest, making Eva, Ammon, and Joselyn laugh. Cole grunts.  
“What exactly did you do to him?” I ask through laughter.  
“Ammon held Cole down while I lectured and swore at him, adding a slap or low voltage electrical shock here and there," Joselyn says as if it was nothing, maybe even boring. I glance at Ammon’s knuckles.  
“Then why are his knuckles blue?” My voice rises up an octave. Just looking at his bruise, along with Cole’s state, makes me want to throw up. I can’t look at Cole without wanting to help him- if I did, I’d probably get the same thing done. I focus on Josie, expecting an answer. Ammon suddenly walks over to Cole.  
“I’m sorry bro; I shouldn’t have done what I did.” Ammon whispers. Cole nods.  
Cole looks down.  
"Yeah, I know that you're afraid of my girlfriend. We all are." Ammon looks as if he has just been punch in the stomach.  
“I am not!” He exclaims, causing Joselyn to whip her head in his direction.  
“WHAT was that Nikomedes? You BETTER be scared of me, I can kick your ass!” Joselyn is clearly enraged. She rolls her eyes while swearing he will pay sometime and then looks at me.  
"After I slapped Cole, he got angry and tried to get away. Ammon then punched Cole in the ribs, forcing him into a tree, where I tied him up with my whip and continued to lectured and zap him.”  
I look at Cole, who is giving me a puppy-dog look. I can’t help it anymore! He looks so defeated it’s really sad. I know the strong, combat teacher Cole. This one is unfamiliar. I run over to Cole before anyone can object, releasing him from the binds. I whisper “You own me, meet me before they leave” to him right before Cole runs back to the direction of camp grounds.  
“DIONA! Why did you do that?!” Joselyn shrieks at me. Before I can answer, Eva steps forward.  
“Never show a pain phobic anyone who is beat up, unless you want something like that to happen!”

Since Ajax is with Sandra and not teaching the class, I head to the main area for lunch. But before we go, I decide to try and put my plan into action. I run to catch up with Ammon, whom was on his way to go find Ajax.  
“Ammon, wait up!” I call to the Hermes kid. He reluctantly stops to allow me time to catch up.  
“Do you really want Eva going on the quest alone? Without you there to protect her?” I play the guilt card on him, hopeful that he will do as I say. To my relief, he shakes his head warily.  
“I’m planning on sneaking into the van. You in?” I ask in hushed tones. To my relief he nods.  
“Can you also tell Ajax that? But without Sandra knowing, okay?”  
"Okay." His voice is small and quiet, but it is also very masculine, which is ironic.  
He runs off to his cabin while I make my way to the main area for lunch.

After lunch, all of the Apollo, Poseidon, and Hades cabins plus friends come to say goodbye to Sandra, Eva, and Josie. I am one of the first ones to hug them and say goodbye, which just adds to my plan. I rush over to a bush nearby where Aelix is waiting.  
“You have the bag?” I whisper. He nods his quickly. “Good, now all we need is for Ajax to break away from Sandra, Cole to clean up a bit after that heavy make-out session they ‘privately’ had, and-Oh! Here comes Ammon now." I exclaim the last part because Ammon is approaching. Ajax and Cole follow. Cole is wearing camouflage cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and some (noticeable) cream on his marks; the white cream stands out like glow paint in a black hole.  
We all turn our heads at the sound of a car opening; Percy just unlocked his van. Percy loads the bags into the large trunk. Advantage much? He heads over to start the car, making sure to get the cool air running in through the ventilation system. Now’s our chance!  
“Okay guys. GO GO GO!”  
We all pile into the van’s trunk behind all of the bags. Unfortunately, there is only enough room for the four boys to fit in the back with their legs crossed.  
“Crap! Where am I going to sit?” I whisper. Aelix taps his legs with his hands, his face smiling as if I’m a hunting target.  
“You could sit on my lap!” He whispers. Voices cause my attention to go to the crowd of demigods. Joselyn, Eva, and Sandra have finished saying their goodbye and are going to be here soon.  
“Fine. But don’t try anything, okay?” I huff while placing myself behind the bags, onto Aelix’s lap. He pulls me in closer and places my head on his collarbone.  
“You can sleep.” He lets me know. The trunk door closes with a bang, almost making us scream and blow our cover.  
“Aelix? Remember earlier when you told me you had two things to say, but you only told me one? I’m wondering what the second thing is.” I whisper into his chest as I make myself comfortable. He chuckles, which in turn makes his chest go up and down along with my head.  
"You sometimes talk in your sleep. I promise I won't let Ryan—if he is still alive—or any of your mother’s future boyfriends hurt you anymore.”  
The car starts, and it sounds somehow soothing. I close my eyes, drifting off to sleep on Aelix.


	12. Utter Chaos

Chapter 12- Utter Chaos

Evaline’s POV

“Percy, don’t you DARE change that radio station again!” I say through clenched teeth. I am seriously getting mad. The thing is about my half-brother is that he likes to annoy me. For the past fifteen minutes (minutes that seemed to drag on for hours) my brother and I have been going back and forth between Percy’s favorite radio station- Light Rock- and Mine- The top 40’s. It is so bad, Sandra has resorted to listening to her IPod and Joselyn is laughing at us.  
I love rock and roll, So put another dime in the jukebox baby  
I turn to Percy aggravated. He smiles, barring all of his teeth, while keeping his eyes on the road. I smack him lightly on the arm.  
"You win," I sigh, letting him bring his guard down. He glances at me quickly then shifts uncomfortably.  
"So…When were you going to tell Ammon you like him?" Percy asks casually, although his voice cracks on ‘like’.  
“What? Me LIKE Ammon? Ha ha, good one Perce, but I have no clue what gave you THAT idea” I laugh a bit, attempting to keep my cool.  
How did Percy-of all people- find out? I think furiously. I take my foot out of my sandal to touch my station’s button with ninjetic speed and stealth. Percy doesn’t notice due to him laughing so hard.  
“What?” I snap at him. Percy stops laughing, or at least crying from laughter, but after a few seconds, he burst out again. Once he settles down a smile dances on his face.  
“I saw your drawings of him while you were training,” I stare at him in awe. When was this? I have all my drawing of him locked in a safe, with a 27-digit combination that only an Athena kid or I can get/remember. How could Percy- of all people- get that?  
“You..... Looked.... at my drawings?!” Pink floods into my cheeks from embarrassment, and I’m mad because there is some very personal stuff in there.  
"I especially liked the one of Ammon and you slow dancing," Percy mocks.  
Gods, he needs to mind his own business! That does it, something inside my mind has snapped. I pour some water on my hand then aim it at Percy’s face. I fling the water at him, a huge blob of H₂O that looks like blue jello let loose in space. It stops a few millimetres in front of Percy’s face, he turns his head, and slurps it into his mouth. Darn it, I forgot he can control water too! I think while mentally face-palming myself.  
“Ow!” I hear from behind me. I whip around to face Joselyn. Her whip is on the ground, viscous spikes jutting out from it. She is holding her thumb.  
"I scratched myself on the spikes. Sorry I worried you," Joselyn shrugs it off while sneaking a band-aid from Sandra's—who currently asleep against the window with her music playing—first aid kit.  
"Hey! When did you change the radio?" Percy exclaims. I turn around. Oh Percy...  
“Yeah, you JUST noticed that?” Joselyn laughs.  
Percy and I look sideways at each other for a moment before having a sissy fit. I have the literal upper hand due to Percy having one hand on the wheel, the other determined to win the fight against my two free hands.  
“Don’t make me take out my pen!” Percy sasses. I raise an eyebrow.  
“Don’t make ME take out my GUM!” I counter. We both stop and look at each other, a smirk on my face and an ‘oh no you didn’t’ look on Percy’s. Joselyn leans forward so her head is between our seats.  
“Oh, you just got serrrrrrrrved!” Joselyn drags out each word. She returns to her seat. I decide to end this nonsense, not wanting to have an hour of fighting over the radio. I press Annabeth’s station and Taylor Swift comes out of the speakers.  
“There, a station we BOTH don’t like.” Without getting a response from him, I turn to face Joselyn and Sandra. I motion for Joselyn to wake up Sandra—we need to figure out this prophecy. Joselyn pulls out Sandra's ear buds, which causes her to wake up immediately.  
"We need to figure out this prophecy," I say seriously. I look at Joselyn.  
“Did you copy down the prophecy?” She rummages through her bag for a bit allowing Sandra to fully wake up.  
“A stranger will suddenly appear” Joselyn reads.  
“Obviously that’s Dae” I interject. Jose nods her head while writing ‘Dae’. Sandra furrows her brows.  
“How was Dae a stranger?” She asks  
“Well,” I reply “She didn’t have a satyr, centaur, or demigod with her, you know as a guide.”  
Sandra nods her head. “Next line.”  
“A half-blood’s parentage won’t be clear” Joselyn reads, then adds “She got claimed as Dionysus- but remember we were trying to figure out her parentage while she was asleep?”  
Sandra and I nod. Sandra giggles, making all of us stare at her, even Percy—who looks through the mirror.  
“We all owe Eva $5 for guessing correctly!”  
Joselyn whimpers.  
"I was GOING to guess Dionysus, but I didn't because he only had sons," she rants. I chuckle at her.  
“You can pay up later, but for now just keep going.”  
“4 demigods await the door” Joselyn reads. “Obviously that’s the four of us,” She says matter-of-factly. Percy shakes his head. I turn to him confused.  
“I’m dropping you girls off at the Envis house then leaving for Annabeth and I’s house.”  
"Then who IS the fourth demigod?"  
"Let's skip it, and then go back to it," I suggest. Joselyn and Sandra nod their heads in agreement.  
“To see what a god has in store” Joselyn reads.  
“Well Dionysus MUST be captured by a god. And notice how it says GOD and not godESS? That narrows it down a bit," Sandra observes. Joselyn gives Sandra a high-five  
“Nice observation Sandra!” I congratulate her. Joselyn continues.  
“A loved one shall lie to forever rest.” She rolls her eyes. “That’s a fancy way to say that someone dies!” We all nervously laugh, even Percy. Joselyn jots that down.  
“Only a cursed dagger shall end this quest.” We all (minus Percy) look around nervously, the same thought in our heads.  
Diona has a dagger  
Joselyn’s POV  
Eva has that shit we’re screwed look about her. I hate that poor innocent Diona is in charge of our future. She is untrained, probably mentally scarred for life due to the whole Capture the flag incident, plus the questioning that happened against her will. Frankly, I'm surprised she hasn’t tried to escape or anything. But back to the current situation, they need some reassurance that it isn’t possible that our favorite Dionysus kid won’t be a part of this big prophecy.  
“Good thing Diona isn’t here then, right? The prophecy might not even happen in our generation!” I say, defusing the tension a bit. Deep down, I have a gut feeling that Diona WILL join us at some point. We ARE going to her mother's house to investigate/see if she knows.  
Sandra goes back to listening to her music while Eva tries to wrap her head around the prophecy. Eva tries to seem calm but I know by her fidgety fingers and tapping foot that she isn’t. I haven’t told Eva yet but I have seen the marks on Dae’s right arm- I saw them when I got back from beating up Cole. Medium gold, large green, medium gold, and small red circles running vertically down her arm. They aren’t the usual marks of a tattoo; they are marks of a curse. I know this because my father has taught me about curses. Hades taught me how to bestow them as well as take away SOME of them.  
Gurrrg, My stomach says. I am hungry.  
“What was that?” Sandra sits up alarmed and readies her bow. I laugh at her.  
“Nothing, just the monster in the back seat, no biggy” I sarcastically inform her. Sandra’s cheeks turn bright red and she sets her bow and arrow down on the seat.  
“Is anyone hungry?” I ask the group. I get three replies of ‘yes’. I reach down to my backpack and notice it’s unzipped.  
“How did tha-” I start but shake it off. I reach my hand into my bag in search of the 4 bags of popcorn I have. Pulling out my hand, I find only three bags!  
What the Hades?  
Suddenly I hear a popping sound come from the back of the van, the air filling with a buttery aroma. It starts to make my stomach jump out of me.  
“Percy, why do you have a microwave in the back?” I ask  
“I don’t” Percy doesn’t sound like his chipper self, his tone is flat and emotionless at the moment.  
“Then how else is the popcorn popping?” I counter. Evaline turns to face me.  
“The popcorn must have slid out of your bag and onto the heater back there. It takes a little while for the heat to build up in the bag, eventually leading up to enough heat for the popcorn to pop,” Eva explains as if it is the simplest solution in the world. I nod my head slowly, pouting my lips.  
“Seems legit”  
“Really Jose, legit?” Eva laughs while turning around in her seat.  
I look down at my bag just in time to see a brown THING crawl out from under the seat.  
“SPIDER!” I yell while drawing up my feet and hugging my legs.  
“KILL IT SANDRA, KILL IT!” I yell. Sandra picks her bow and arrow up off the seat and shoots the arrow at the THING. A gut wrenching scream comes from the back of the van. Then it dawns on me. I reach down to grab the hand and pull it through. Cole is now on the floor, his torso just able to fit under my seat, his face to the ground.  
“Aye Joder!” He groans.  
“What the hell? Cole?! Sandra heal his hand so he can focus on explaining himself!”  
Cole willingly thrusts his hand to land on Sandra’s lap. I hold his other hand gently stroking it. Cole writhes in pain when Sandra cuts the arrow in two and pulls it out. She then pours some Nectar on it. He relaxes as we watch the hole heal itself, leaving merely a scar. Cole scoots his way out from under the seat and then sits in between Sandra and me.  
“What ARE you doing here Cole? How did you sneak into the van?” Percy is mad and slightly confused.  
“I did it for someone, but she made me swear I wouldn’t tell you,” Cole explains. If I hadn’t have beaten him up earlier, well let’s just say that he would need more than Nectar to help heal him. The Nectar Sandra gave him now is clearing up some of the bruises and scratch marks from my beat-down. Also, I think an arrow in the hand is enough punishment.  
We all sit there in silence, not counting the country station or Cole’s popping popcorn (he is using one hand as the fire to roast and the other to hold the bag). After about 30 minutes, Percy pulls over to a gas station and parks at one of the pumps. Since I don’t have Dyslexia, I can read the sign- it says Gulf.  
“Where are we?” Cole asks- he IS dyslexic.  
“Goats convenience store and gas station. I need to get some gas and supplies,” Percy proudly announces.  
"Percy, that says Gulf, not Goats," Eva points out. Percy mumbles something about why does he have dyslexia but Eva doesn’t while pulling the keys out of their slot. Sandra puts her head against the window.  
"I miss Diona and Ajax," she sighs. Percy turns to her and looks dead serious.  
“Do you know why only 3 demigods go on quests? Three is just under the monster radar. Cole- who shouldn’t even be here- is pushing the limit, plus 3 of us here are children of the Big 3! I’m just glad, and frankly surprised, that there hasn’t been an attack yet! I will be right back. Try not to get killed while I’m gone,” With that, Percy leaves. As soon as he is out of sight, the car lurches forward a bit. Caught by surprise, everyone screams. We all gather our bags and get out of the car. I get out just in time; the car gets flipped over onto its side and rolls over to the edge of the forest, across the road.  
“Head towards the pumps!” Eva yells to us over a loud roar. We all obey- Eva is the most experienced with monsters out of all of us. Once at the pump, I see what attacked us. It is about the size of a monster truck in height, and I’m guessing it weighs almost as much. It looks part Stymphalian Bird part Hydra. It has six Stymphalian heads on its mixed body. One of the heads breathes fire.  
“It’s a hybrid of the Stymphalian Bird and Hydra” I yell to the others as it approaches us.  
“How do we kill it?” Sandra yells over another roar.  
“Ammon taught me to aim at its eyes; they lead straight to the brain of each head” Eva yells. The monster immediately tries to strike at me with one of its heads, but I snap the spike-filled whip. Some spikes end up in the hybrids eye- advantage us. I press another button causing poison to drip into the eye. The head goes back in pain, bringing me up with it. I clutch onto my whip and wait for the head to drop. It isn’t a smooth ride down, and I almost lose my grip three times, but after a little bit the head collapses to the ground. This enrages the other heads.  
Cole is, thankfully, battling the fire-breathing head. The head is confused about how Cole is still alive after its fire attacks. Eva is using a full water bottle to distract the head she is in battle with, and then severs one of the eyes with her sword. Sandra’s arrows are flying one after another, but to no avail. The monster head she is dealing with dodges each one. Sandra even attempts to shoot two at the same time, but the monster snaps them in half. Sandra gets her bow ready, her quiver has only two arrows left, when a dagger whizzes past her head and lands directly in the pupil. Sandra shoots her arrow too late and the Hybrid disappears. Eva screams in pain at the arrow lodged in her foot.  
I whirl around to see who the dagger belonged to and find Aelix, Ajax, and Ammon standing with their jaws agape. Dae is a meter in front of them, still in her throwing stance SHIT.  
“That was...... AWESOME!” Aelix announces. Ammon at that point notices Eva and rushes over to knee beside her. We all follow.  
“Holy..... Oh gods..... Eva..... Your foot!” Ammon breaths, eyes wide in shock at the sight before him. Eva winces in pain.  
“I know Ammon,” She notices everyone crowding around her and gestures for them to back away. “Guys, I’m fine, I just need some space.” Everyone except Ammon and I backs away. Ammon tries to help Eva up, but she doesn’t accept the help. She leans on me for support, though, before hobbling off behind the building. A gut wrenching scream is heard from the back.  
“Ajax and Cole, go find Percy. Joselyn, help me heal Eva. Dae and Ammon help calm Eva down. Aelix, you can help where it is needed.” Sandra orders. Nobody looks weary of the order and we all obey. My group finds Eva lounging against the building. I have to say, I’m not used to seeing this side of Eva- the vulnerable and hurt side. From the moment we met, I knew she would be strong, but not muscular strength. She has inner strength. Eva doesn’t let anyone knock her down and doesn't do that to others. Not many people know that side of her, however. Only Sandra and I, and possibly Dae, know. It's as if she has that aura. But the Eva sitting against the building, sweat dripping down her face, hands clenched, eyes shut; over all vulnerable is the Evaline Malone that sorrows me a bit.  
I hear someone come up to us, drawing my attention away from Eva. Dae skips up to Eva (at the moment they look like total opposites. Where Eva looks like she just came out of battle- a bit of monster blood along with grime on her clothes- Dae looks as if she is fresh from the shower- her hair is braided into a complex pattern, and her clothes are perfect, aside from a bit wrinkled, and sits down beside her, averting her eyes from the bloody foot.  
“So Eva..... What’s up?” Dae asks cheerily, as if none of this is happening, our lives aren’t in jeopardy, and her father isn’t captured.  
“Really Diona, what’s up? “ Eva dryly retorts. Dae looks up at the sky and after a moment replies:  
“Well, there is the sky, and the store’s gutter, and clouds!” Dae looks up excitedly and points. I follow her gaze, my eyes land on a regular fluffy cloud. “That one looks like a cotton ball!” She exclaims.  
I look at the Daughter of Dionysus as if to say ‘what the hell?’ and notice that Eva has stopped clenching her fists and her eyes are looking up at the sky. She has a look of displeasure on her face. Then I realize what’s REALLY up-not literal. Dae is distracting Eva! It looks like Sandra has realized this too, because she is by Eva’s foot and is setting up. Ammon is now on the other side Eva looking up with them. I tip-toe over beside Sandra and help her.  
“Of course it looks like a cotton ball- it’s a CLOUD!” Eva snaps. Her eyes suddenly fixate on Sandra and me. She doesn't say anything but tears threaten to fall. Ammon and Dae turn so they are facing Eva and they each extend a hand.  
“We are going to have to pull it out” Sandra informs Eva. Eva gulps but shakes her head in agreement. Meanwhile, I cut the arrow in half. Eva reflexively shoots out her hands to grab something- the something ends up being Dae and Ammon’s extended hands.  
“Okay, now block Eva’s view,” Sandra instructs. Ammon and Dae sit so that their shoulders are touching, their arms in the middle (Dae’s right and Ammon’s left). Eva and I meet eyes over Dae’s head and smile a bit. Ammon is about five inches taller than Dae, so it looks awkward.  
"One…t-" Sandra counts but I quickly but carefully pull the arrow out. I hear a cracking sound and Eva tense up.  
“What happened to two and three?!” Eva shouts angrily.  
"Two. Three!" I cheerily say. I don't dare meet Eva's eyes at first, but when I do I see she is ticked. Wait! Where is Ammon and Dae?  
“Damn Eva! You... got.... strong... hands!” Dae breathes. I look over and see that Dae (along with Ammon) is clutching the hand that used to hold Eva’s. Aelix rushes over from his spot under a tree to Dae, panicked.  
“Sandra, help Eva. I will take care of Ammon and Dae’s hands,” I tell her.  
“What can I do?” Aelix asks. He is obviously aggravated that his girlfriend got hurt- despite is cool stance, his eyes reveal it all.  
“Great, if you know first aid, you can help Ammon while I help Dae!”  
He looks hesitant but stalks over to fetal-positioned Ammon. I stride over to Dae, who is also in the fetal position, clutching her right arm. I ease my arms under her to pick her up and after a few whimpers I settle her on top of a nearby crate. Dae’s eyes are cast to the ground. I see a tear run down her cheek, yet the girl isn’t making much noise.  
“How are you NOT screaming out in pain?” I ask her while tilting her head up. Her eyes now look like Christmas. I gently pull out her wounded hand earning me a few more winces. Dae clears her throat.  
“I didn’t want to complain about my hand when Eva has it much worse” She whispers. I smile at her. I cup my hands under her hand but she pulls away. The girl whispers ‘no’ at me so I put my hands on my hips and look at her sideways.  
“Your hand isn’t going to get any better if you hide it. I will try not to hurt you too much. Are you going to cooperate?” I feel as if I am scolding a child. Then an idea pops into my head. During the questioning, Aelix asked Dae what she does to relax. One of the things she said was that she feels the most relaxed lying down.  
“Would you feel better if you were to lie down?” I ask her. Dae cheers up at that question, quickly nodding her head. I set up some crates for her to lie on, plus one to do my work on. Dae walks over quickly and lies on her back, her arm falling gently and automatically. I put some tarp under her arm, which causes Dae to tense up a bit.  
After a quick examination I come to a conclusion.  
"It's broken," I tell her straight up figuring that there is no sense in dressing it up in fancy words.  
“How do you know?” It pains me to hear the hurt in Dae’s normally cheerful voice.  
“Sandra taught me first aid during survival skills training- I already knew how to survive in the wild because of girl scouts.” I explain while cutting a piece of tarp from the crate using Dae’s dagger. She notices the weapon.  
“You got my dagger?” Diona is appalled yet amazed. I nod while laughing and tying a knot. Slipping a sling over her head, I carefully place her arm in the correct position, and then wipe away the tears streaming down Dae’s face.  
“Would you like some pain killers? The only downside to them is that you will most likely get drowsy and fall asleep.” I ask her, already knowing her answer. For the first time since I met her, I see 100% trust in Dae’s emerald eyes now that she knows I don’t mean any harm. I place the dagger in the sheath attached to her pasty legs.  
Luckily, Sandra has some pain killers. I have been given specific instructions to not use much Nectar or Ambrosia for we won’t have enough for every injury and for the injuries to come. I snatch the pink tiny pills and rush back over to my patient. Wonderful facility this is, I think sarcastically. When I get back to Diona, she has her eyes closed and is breathing deeply.  
“Here you go,” I whisper while holding out the capsules. With my free hand I grab a water bottle from my bag. They kick in fast; I help Dae walk for fear of her passing out mid-step. We walk towards the rest of the group.  
"Hey, Ammon," Aelix calls even though he sitting right next to him. "You know a girl likes you when she unintentionally breaks your hand!” He glances over at us and immediately his face changes from joking to serious. I do admit that Dae is sort of walking in zig zag patterns. He rushes over to us, ditching Ammon.  
“She is okay Aelix. Relax, I got her. You don’t need to be ‘Prince Charming’ right now.” I nonchalantly tell him. He looks at me baffled.  
“Okay? She is walking in zig zag patterns!” He exclaims. I lightly smack him upside the head.  
“That’s cause’ I gave her some painkillers so she wouldn’t cry out in pain! Would you rather her be crying and in pain, or loopy but relaxed?” I snap at him. Aelix considers the options even though he can’t do anything about it now. I suddenly feel the arm I’m supporting go limp, slip out of my grasp, and I watch as Diona falls not-so-gracefully to the ground. I watch in horror, but relax when I realize what happened. Aelix glance from me to Dae then back again.  
“What the-” Aelix starts but I cut him off.  
“It’s the painkiller, relax lover-boy,” I dryly inform him. I then scoop her up in my arms but Aelix stops me.  
“May I? She is so much lighter than Ammon,” Aelix smiles his famous smile and looks up at me pleading for him to take his girl. Wait a second! Did he just say she is lighter than Ammon? I know that Dae is smaller and lighter than Ammon, it’s pretty obvious. But the way Aelix says it is what intrigues me.  
“You carried Ammon?!” Another thing is that Aelix is smaller than Ammon, and Aelix doesn’t look strong enough to carry Ammon.  
“Well, I attempted. Ammon told me he would rather me not make things awkward when he is capable of getting up and snagging some medication for the pain. He's tough—he only grabbed an Advil”  
I laugh at him and his sense of humor. Need to make something awkward, call Aelix Phillips. I pass Dae gently over to him, and he positions Dae over his shoulder.  
“We have to work on her passing out- it has started to become a habit,” Aelix jokes, but there is some seriousness in his tone. His eyes give it away that he doesn’t want her to be passed out during battle- neither do I.  
“How about we train her on our way back from the Envis’ house, assuming that Dionysus is there?” I suggest. Aelix agrees with me. Sandra suddenly screams.  
“Ajax!”  
We turn to see Ajax just around the corner, clutching his right side of his torso in pain, his face scrunched up tight. But he isn’t crying. Sandra leaves Eva –who has a bandage on the arrow wound- and Ammon- his arm in a sling much like Dae’s except made of Aelix’s sweater. They are currently holding hands and talking.  
“I’m fine Sandra,” Ajax grunts but he clearly isn’t. His hand is red from where he is holding it. Frankly, I’m glad Dae is passed out. We don’t need her freaking out over this right now. There’s something missing in this scene. Cole! Where is my hot Mexican boyfriend?  
“Where the hell is Cole?” I ask, striding past Ajax and Sandra.  
“Thank you Joselyn for being SO caring,” Ajax sarcastically calls, despite the pain he must be in.  
“Anytime Ajax!” I fake cheerily, and then run into the store.  
The first thing I see is that the place is a mess. All the shelves are knocked over, food littering the floor, and the clerk is behind the desk shell-shocked. Some serious shit must have gone down. A soft but urgent scream comes from the refrigerator. Looking over, I see Cole as frozen as a popsicle suck inside.  
“What the hell happened? Why are you stuck in a fridge?” I rush my words because the scene before me is so confusing. Cole is a son of Hephaestus and a fire user; how couldn’t he use his powers over fire to melt the ice? Cole’s skin, hair, and eyes go from chocolate brown/black to magma red. The ice melts off of him after a second or two, turning to water.  
“Where’s Ajax and that demigod carbon who stabbed him?! That guy seriously needs to be slowly burned!” Cole huffs. The Latino then starts cursing in Spanish.  
“What happened?” I whip around to see Percy coming out of the bathroom. He is in shock and is looking around curiously.  
“That’s what I just was wondering!” we turn to Cole expectantly.  
“When we got in here, Ajax and I were being followed by some guy. I wanted to get a candy bar, apparently so did the guy. Ajax wanted to get a PowerAde, so did the guy. He followed us all around the store. Percy was in the bathroom the whole time this was happening, so we decided to have some fun with our stalker. I whispered to Ajax that we needed to get back to the FBI to fulfill our duties of catching weird stalkers especially the one behind us. The guy didn't find that funny. He came up and smacked me in the face. I cried out because his hand had one of those shocker things-you know that people used for pranks. The guy laughed as he walked off. I yelled ‘hey!’ and he turned around. Ajax got behind him and put the man in a headlock. He whispered ‘touch any of us again and I will hunt you down’ in a menacing voice. The guy pulled out a knife and threatened to use it on us. I laughed, making him angry. He twisted himself so he had a hold of Ajax, and knifed him. The guy threw Ajax at the shelves. Since Ajax is really beef, he knocked down all of them. The dude then advanced on me and tried to strike. Ajax got up despite his injury and kicked the guy’s hand, causing the knife to drop out. The guy yelled out in pain and punched Ajax across the head. I sneaked away to behind him; ready to poke him with my heat fingers, but he whipped around at the last second, took my hand, and flipped me. I got really disoriented which gave him the upper hand. He shoved me into the fridge where my powers don’t work- for some reason fridges are my kryptonite. Ajax charged at him but the guy stabbed him in the same spot as before, making sure to deepen the cut. He yelled that he will be back to finish us off, but he never came. Ajax went to case after him. Then you came, Joselyn." Cole tells us.  
“Why is Ajax here? How is he here?” Percy starts freaking out a bit. He starts pacing.  
"Buddy, you are going to kick Diona's butt when you find out-" I don't get to finish; Percy books it out the door. Cole follows, as do I but not before summoning a few gems and giving it to the fear-stricken clerk. I then alter the mist so she only saw the man shove Ajax into the shelves and run away, Ajax casing him. The woman accepts the gems, telling me in Spanish that she is very grateful for my generous donation, but she can’t take it. I roll my eyes and run out of the door before she can try to give them back.  
I get out in time to see Percy’s reaction. He keeps looking from passed out Diona, to Eva, and then the scrap of metal that used to be Annabeth's van.  
“Annabeth is going to kill me”


	13. Envis House

Chapter 13- Envis House

Evaline’s POV

Percy walks over to me and sits by my side. I can tell a few things about him; he wants to freak out at Dae—but she is passed out cold (that seems to happen a lot)—he wants to heal my foot, but he doesn't know how. I'm used to seeing him confused, but not like this.  
"So…can you tell me exactly what happened in the five minutes I left you alone?" Percy asks. I tell him everything I know, even the part where I saw Joselyn give Dae some painkillers that caused her current state.  
"Okay…our next objective is to wake her up," Percy decides. Ugh. Duh!  
"Thank you Captain Obvious." I don't even try to mask the dryness in my tone.  
“I’m going to get some grape juice. Attempt to get everyone else calm and mostly able to help.” Percy orders while getting up, before sprinting back into the store. The key word in his command is ‘attempt’.  
“Okay GUYS LISTEN UP!” I yell which gets everyone’s attention.  
“People who are able to help-” I gesture to my right “stand there. People who are injured need to be put near me” I order at the other demigods.  
Aelix drags Dae to sit beside me before standing with the able-body group, and Sandra drags Ajax to sit near Dae. Ajax is breathing deeply, most likely to help the hole in his torso, but needs Dae and the wall for support. Dae ends up leaning against me.  
"Three of us can't walk." I state to no one in particular. "Someone, come help these two," I order, gesturing to Dae and Ajax. Cole and Sandra run over to help Ajax walk without collapsing—they are (just) able to support his weight. Joselyn gets to Diona before Aelix does.  
"Hey!" Aelix interjects. Joselyn smirks triumphantly.  
"You have to share!" Joselyn scolds mocking him. We all laugh at the pouting son of Phobos. Ammon briskly walks over to me, a slight breeze causing his dirty blonde hair to move in front of his piercing blue eyes. He holds out his useful hand. We engage in eye contact.  
“You can’t, your arm” I don’t dare meet his eyes again. Suddenly I feel arms under my legs and supporting my back. I gasp as he picks me up bridal style. My foot starts to feel much better having the pressure off it.  
“Did I surprise you?” He chuckles, cocking an eyebrow. I can’t tell what he is thinking. Is he laughing at me?  
“What about your hand?” I question, not wanting to admit that he in fact DID scare me. Ammon smiles.  
"I have a higher pain tolerance than some people," he simply says. I have a feeling by "some people" he means a certain daughter of Dionysus…  
Aelix jogs over to us. He doesn't like how Joselyn is taking care of Diona and not him- his eyes give more away than his emotionless face.  
"What are we going to do to get to Dae's house? Percy's van—"  
"Annabeth's van," I correct. He looks at me annoyed.  
"Annabeth's van is destroyed."  
Oh, right! I totally forgot about that!  
"How about I pop us up a car?" Ammon suggests. Aelix crosses his arms, clearly intrigued.  
"How can you 'pop up' a car?" he questions Ammon.  
"Well, I am a son of Hermes. Hermes is the god of transportation, so one of my powers is that I can summon any mode of transportation I please.” Ammon explains. He looks at me. “I mean, if it’s okay with you.”  
"Totally! That way, we don't have to rent a car." That solves one problem.  
By the time Percy gets back, Ammon has summoned a blue van for us to travel in to Dae's house. My brother has a pack of grape juice boxes in his hand; in the other is a juice box he is drinking.  
"I bought one for everyone," Percy announces.  
Joselyn walks up to him, Dae in piggyback position. Percy turns to the two girls.  
"How about everyone else wait in the car while we help Dae out?" she suggests.. I notice that she is holding onto Dae’s arms and has the girl’s feet hooked on her belt/whip. I suppress a smile.  
“Good point. How about Ammon, Joselyn and you all stay. The others can load Ajax into the car.” Percy suggests. I nod.  
5 minutes later  
Joselyn gently sets Diona down on a crate. Percy dumps the grape juice all over Diona's body. She sits up instantly and looks around, alarmed.  
"Thank goodness that worked," Joselyn sighed. Diona looks down at her clothes.  
"Now I'm going to be all sticky" she pouts. "Where is everyone?"  
"Waiting in the van…You know, before another monster or more psychopathic demigods try to kill us," I nonchalantly reply.

Meanwhile-Kacey’s POV  
“Okay, nothing to see here, move along!” I yell at the crowd after the demigods leave. I’m surprised at how many people showed up for their departure; the whole Apollo cabin, all (two other people) of the Hades cabin, Stew Son of Poseidon, and the entire Dionysus cabin except for Dae. I find this odd seeing as she is Sandra, Eva and Joselyn’s friend... Perhaps I should go check on her.  
Trotting over to the Dionysus cabin, I spot Dae's brothers, Greg and Derrek. I don't say anything, just listen and watch. Derrek slips Greg a little plastic baggie filled to the brim with a weird looking powdery substance. Greg shakes hands with Derrek.  
“Thanks for the new stash, I was running out” Greg tells Derrek. Then it clicks. I storm up to them and grab Greg's arm. He jumps a little.  
"I didn’t do anything!" the druggie cries  
"oh, seriously? I just SAW and HEARD you two!" I exclaim. They look at their feet sheepishly then I grab Greg by the ear and tow him to the Big House.  
"Chiron!" I yell into the huge house.  
"What Kacey?" he yells back from his office.  
"I got a drug deal," I call. Chiron trots down the hallway and grabs Greg by the arm. I let the poor messed up boy go.  
"How have you been getting these?!" Chiron says through gritted teeth while I hand him the bag of powder. Greg thinks for a few seconds and looks as if weighing his options. I get tired of waiting and slap him for good measure across the face. The three boys look at me in surprise.  
"What the hell was that for?!" Greg snarls. Chiron's stern gaze burrows at me.  
"Violence isn't necessary, sweetie."  
"Then answer or I WILL hit you again! The fact you were taking so long suggests that you were making up a lie," I snap at him. Greg laughs menacingly.  
"I'll tell you but you're not gonna like it," Greg purrs.  
What Greg tells us is surprising. So surprising, it catches me off guard. Who would have thought. Who would have thought one little name could have such effect.  
"No" I shake my head. I refuse to believe what he is saying  
"Yes. Believe me, I was surprised as well"  
"how?" I whisper, earning a coy smile on that evil face.  
"Turns out, Diona has a rare Dionysus power that no one else can do; she can create drugs at the snap of a finger"  
Suddenly his eyes cloud over black.  
"Little sister has been a bad girl, hasn't she?" Greg's mouth is moving but it isn't his voice that comes out. This voice is dark and deep, sort of like a voice over in a movie. Just as quickly as the moment came, it leaves and Greg goes back to normal.  
" do you know why she wasn't at her friend's go-away party? It's because she had to go make some money. Oh but she doesn't just sell it to the Dionysus cabin." Greg looks at me through is curly black hair, red-green eyes gleaming with mystery. Chiron shoves Greg and Derrek, who has been surprisingly quiet, into his office and follows. But before leaving he stops at the door.  
"Go find Ms. Envis; I will deal with Greg. Also, can you get the addictions counselor and therapist Mitchell Bishop to see me?"  
I nod my head and sprint to the Dionysus cabin.  
The Dionysus cabin is deserted due to its occupants at training. I don't know Diona's schedule by heart so I decide to check her bunk for any clues to her whereabouts. Upon nearing her bunk, I see a piece of paper lying on the bed. My curiosity overcomes me so I pick it up. It's a note:  
Dear whoever finds this,  
I'm sorry for leaving with the quest group and three others, but I'm tired of training. Please don't show this to Kacey or Chiron—they would be ticked.

Just so you know, I snuck into Percy's van with Aelix, Ajax, Ammon, and Cole. They are not to be punished when we return.  
The reason I left, other than being tired of training is that I feel people here treat me as if I am a patient in a mental hospital. Yes, I do faint a lot and get hurt very easily but I am hoping I can overcome the fainting- or just lessen it- along with the getting hurt part. Tell Greg and Derrek that the offer is too extreme and difficult.  
-Dae

The first thing I think is "Oh, shit". Eight demigods on that quest, plus Percy, equals they are going to die. I stuff the note in my sweater pocket before booking it to the Big House.  
"Chiron! I yell then remember he is in his office. Luckily the door is unlocked. When I walk in, Greg is lying on the couch crying while Mitchell and my Dad are attempting to sooth him. Mitchell looks up when I enter.  
"Hey, sweetheart," he greets. "Did you find Diona?"  
"Greg lied about Dae being a drug dealer," I blurt out. Chiron looks at me, then angrily at the emotional wreck.  
"Okay then, but still like to see her about something the Apollo kids found. Where exactly IS she?"  
I look down at my hooves.  
"She's gone," I whisper.  
"WHAT?! SHE'S DEAD?!?!?!" Greg yells, bolting up to a sitting position. He starts cursing in different languages, alternating between English, French, Greek, and other unidentifiable languages.  
"No, she is not dead" I exclaim then pass Chiron the note. He reads it, every few seconds his eyes glistening with a different emotion.  
"Kacey, can you call Percy and demand to bring back the five that are not supposed to be there. They are in so much trouble."

Sandra’s POV  
I'm so relieved when we get into the van. Aelix is driving, so Diona is in the front beside him. She is still a little bit disoriented from the painkiller. (What did Joselyn give her?) I sit behind her, Ajax behind me. Eva is sitting behind Aelix and Joselyn is in the middle of us. Cole is behind Joselyn, Ammon is behind Eva, and Percy decided to take a taxi to Annabeth's and his house.  
Anyway, I'm relieved because I can FINALLY get some rest. I used my healing powers to help Eva so she can walk with some assistance. When I use this power of healing, it drains my energy. Once everyone is in, I decide to take a nap.

I am awakened at the roar of flames. I leap out of the bed. Put on a pair of fuzzy slippers, and bolt to the door of my bedroom. I open the door, only to be met by the fire engulfing my house. I scream and shut the door. Outside I hear a siren. Firefighters! I run to the window, opening it so that I can get out. I grab my pink blanket and stuffed cat.  
"Help!" I scream at the top of my lungs and start waving my blanket around for them to see. A firefighter is quick to notice me and to get me down from the room. A little girl around my age runs up to me. She has flaming red hair, glasses, is a little bit taller than me, and has a skull necklace on.  
"It's okay. I can take care of her now. You go help the crew," she says to the guy carrying me. He runs off to help, leaving me alone with this odd girl. She does an once-over of me from my pink pajamas to my fuzzy slippers. She giggles.  
"You must really love the color pink!" she exclaims, then extends her hand "Hi, I'm Joselyn Hunt" the girl announces proudly. "What's your name?"  
I shake her hand while looking towards the ground.  
"Sandra" I whisper but soon find myself sobbing into Joselyn's shoulder while she strokes my hair.  
"Don't cry, Sandra! We are going to be best friends, okay?" she says cheerily. "Can I tell you a secret?" she whispers. We part so that our eyes meet. I nod.  
"I have this thing—you have it too—called ADHD," she whispers while looking around to make. I nod.  
" I have this thing- you have it too- called ADHD" she whispers while looking around to make sure no one else is around to hear.  
" my brother told me not to tell anyone, but you are coming to a camp in New York. It's for people with ADHD and/or Dyslexia."Joselyn can't hold her excitement from me. I gaps at her.  
"How did you know I have ADHD and dyslexia?" I whisper harshly. From somewhere behind Joselyn, a firefighter is approaching us. He looks like...  
"NICO!" I yell while running into him for a hug. I jump up into his arms and hug my older cousin.  
"How do you know each other?" Joselyn questions.  
"Our grandmothers are sisters," Nico explains to my new friend. Nico then frowns and puts me down.  
"I'll be right back. Joselyn can you escort Sandra to the car?"  
There's something Nico isn't telling me, because Joselyn has the exact same emotionless expression. She grabs my hand, holding it so tight that I might actually loose circulation, and escorts me to a black Kia Soul at the bottom of my driveway.  
"Where are my mommy and daddy?" I sob and cuddle my stuffed cat. Joselyn literally picks me up into her arms and plops me on the seat. She does up my buckle.  
"Where are my mommy and daddy?! I want my mommy and daddy!" I scream even louder. Joselyn looks at me through glassy eyes, sorrow written all over her facial features.  
"They are dead. I'm sorry Sandra..."  
I don't know how she knows, or even question her about; I just sit and ball my eyes out all the way to camp.

"Shhh Sandra shhh" Ajax soothes "It was just a dream."  
Ajax and Joselyn have switched spots so that my boyfriend is beside me and I am crying into his muscular chest.

"That's the thing—it wasn't a dream. It was real," I cry. Ajax pulls me in even closer to him and starts brushing his finger through my chestnut hair.  
"Well I'm here now. No one is going to hurt you under my watch." He is so protective; it reminds; it reminds me of Joselyn. I quickly wipe away my tears and give him a peck on the cheek.  
"Where are we?" I ask, trying to keep my mind off of the nightmare.  
"Approximately ten minutes away from our destination" Aelix replies. Dae sits up, looks at Aelix, and furrows her brows.  
"Where are we going?" she groggily asks while playing with a grape- where she got it, I have no clue. Aelix hesitates to answer  
"Your house" he tightly answers. Dae gasps.  
"Oh no!" she mutters. This gets everyone's attention and we all lean in anticipation.  
"What?!" we all ask in unison. The girl brings her hands to her cheeks, the grape falling to her lap.  
"I FORGOT TO CLEAN MY ROOM!" she exclaims. The tension dissipates and we all chuckle at the effects of the painkillers on her mind (SERIOUSLY WHAT DID JOSELYN GIVE HER?)

A quaint little house is in the distance. It’s light blue, has a garage attached, and looks like it has a big backyard. Aelix pulls the van into the driveway. Cole starts to laugh.  
"Aelix, you can't go to your señorita's house without her permission," he jokes.  
We all laugh, except for the still out cold Diona, while Aelix turns beet red.  
"She's not my girlfriend" he says through gritted teeth and shifts uncomfortably.  
"Not your girlfriend? How is she NOT your girlfriend?! You two have kissed like a bazillions times!" Joselyn exclaims. I look back to see that Cole is holding her down while she freaks out. I turn around just as Aelix pulls into the driveway. He parks next to a purple Nissan Cube.  
That must be Dae's car.  
Aelix turns around in his seat with an embarrassed demeanor about him.  
"We aren't a couple yet... Neither of us has popped the question. Yes we have kissed. One was an Aphrodite kid induced, another was after we got out of there—just to see if what we felt was real," he explains.  
"Don't forget PRINCE CHARMING" I say but can't finish my sentense before bursting out into laughter. This sends Ammon, Eva and Joselyn into a laughing fit. Aelix is reddening (which I didn't think was even possible) but he is smiling.  
"I'm just waiting for the right moment" he confesses.  
"The right moment for what?" Dae hazily asks. She stretches and yawns.  
"Oh, Diona! What part of that did you hear?" Aelix exclaims  
"just that last part" she stretches and yawns again. Dae looks outside and immediately freezes. "Why are we at my house?!"  
"We are just here to see if your mom has any information on Dionysus whereabouts" Eva diplomatically responds. Dae shrugs.  
"Okay, that's cool with me"  
We all get out of the van; Ammon helps Eva, and Aelix helps Dae. Diona is still a bit dizzy. Once we are all out, we all walk up to the door and simply walk in. Everyone except Dae who is starring at the door perplexed.  
"What is it Dae?" I ask  
"My mother usually leaves the door locked."  
We hear a scream come from Eva, Joselyn, Aelix, and Ammon. Dae and I rush into her kitchen, I am following Dae. My boyfriend has fainted. Dae's mother lies in a pool of blood.


	14. Murder Clues

Chapter 14- Murder Clues

Joselyn’s POV

I’ve had a bad feeling about this place since we were a few miles away. I think it’s the same feeling Eva had when she arrived at camp: queasy, clammy, and light-headed. Now that I think about it, Dae had to do with both of our sicknesses. Dae washed up on the beach, Eva's father's domain. Her mother just died and is probably checking into the underworld, my father’s domain. How could someone so small and innocent be the cause of so much? I have a theory it has to do with the weird marks on her arm. Right now, it's glowing as she holds her mother's limp hand and cries. I join everybody comforting her but tell (order, really) Cole and Ammon to get Ajax out of the scene.  
“Where should we put him?” Cole asks. He doesn’t dare make a joke because he knows I will slap him.  
"Take Ajax to the living room. Stay there with him while we help Dae" I order. They obey, allowing me to have one less worry. I kneel down beside Dae and give her a hug. Sandra is on the other side of her, Eva behind Dae.  
“I know she was a total bitch that thought I randomly killed/got rid of her boyfriends, but she was still my mother!” Diona cries into my shoulder. Eva pats her back while Aelix stands near the fridge dumbfounded. I snag a tissue box from the nearby bathroom and bring it back to Dae. Suddenly my phone goes off. I take it out of my jean shorts pocket and see that I have a notification. It says  
Gretchen Maria Envis- Murdered- June 14th 2012- Fields of Asphodel  
I forgot about that! I get notifications about when and how people die. It's good that she made it into the Fields of Asphodel.  
"If it makes you feel any better, she made it into the Fields of Asphodel," I whisper while stroking her braid. This motion seems to calm her down a bit. She mouths ‘thank you’ and stands up, drying her eyes.  
“Should we call the police?” Dae suggests.  
"NO!" We all exclaim—even Cole and Ammon. Dae flinches.  
“What are we going to do with it then?” Diona asks. I look over at Sandra and Eva, who glance at Aelix, then glance up to the ceiling.  
“Dae sweetie, how about you show Aelix your room? We will join you upstairs in a bit” At the sound of his name, Aelix looks up and stands at the ready.  
“Wouldn’t you like to see Dae’s room, Aelix?” I voice it as a question but give him a glare that says ‘you better go or you will get beaten up’. Aelix smiles, nods enthusiastically, and bolts to stand beside Eva.  
"Most definitely!" he replies. Aelix picks Dae up over his shoulder, goes down the hall and turns right.  
“Wrong way!” Dae giggles. I can see Aelix blushing while he carries her through the corridor and upstairs. Once they are out of earshot, we discuss what to do.  
“I think we should ship the body to her family” Eva suggests.  
“What family?” I ask. Eva points to a picture on the wall. It has Dae, her mother, a woman who resembles Mrs. Envis, and two little boys. Dae looks about 10 years old. One boy looks around the same age as picture-Dae and the other looks slightly younger. The older boy has an evil grin on his face while the other is looking down at his shoes.  
“Okay, but how do we get the body to her?” Sandra asks.  
“Ammon can ship the body, being a child of Hermes” Eva matter-of-factly suggests. Suddenly there is a crash from the living room.  
“WHAT THE HELL?!” We hear Ajax scream. We all give a look of ‘oh crap’ and book it to the living room. Ajax is awake and looking around as if he has no clue where we are. Cole and Ammon are trying to calm him down.  
“WHERE THE HELL AM I?!” he bellows, his face resembling an angry monkey. Sandra rushes to his side.  
“Ajax calm down. We are at Dae’s house and you fainted due to the blood on the floor.” Sandra soothes. Ajax’s face goes from monkey to his normal. He blinks while scrunching up his eyebrows.  
“What the hell?” he mutters to himself but soon shakes it off. “Where are Envis and Phillips?” he asks us alarmingly. He seems different...  
“Who? Oh, Diona and Aelix! They are upstairs. Why?” I reply. He bolts to and up the stairs. We follow.  
Our group finds Dae and Aelix in (what I presume) is Diona’s room. Her room is pretty much purple everything. Purple walls, bedspread, door, various t-shirts, and other clothes that litter the floor. Dae is on her bed crying into Aelix’s shoulder. She lifts her head up when we enter and dries her eyes. Ammon and Ajax start picking up, folding, and putting away clothes.  
“What are you doing.....?” Dae seems pretty creeped out that two boys are cleaning her room. Ajax stops for a second, looks up at her with his eye twitching.  
“Must..... Clean..... Mess!” both Ajax and Ammon reply robotically. Dae looks at Sandra and Eva for an explanation.  
“Ajax, did you take your OCD pills? Same for you Ammon.” Sandra asks gently. The two boys shake their heads ‘no’.  
“You have OCD?” Dae says mesmerized. Ammon nods while picking up a purple shirt from under Aelix’s feet.  
Something shiny catches my eye. I walk over to the only window in the room, stepping over Ajax in the process. There in the tree close to the window is a standard sword with a note not far from it.  
“Dae, how long have there been a sword and a note in that tree?” I call. Dae climbs off the bed and walks over to stand beside me. I notice she has changed into some shorts and a purple tank top, with her hair in a messy bun at the top of her head.  
“The sword is from when one of my-” she pauses to swallow back a sob “mother’s boyfriend’s attacked me. No biggy, he is in custody now. The note, however, is new."  
Without warning Dae opens the window, jumps out swiftly on to a big sturdy branch, turns around and smiles at my dropped jaw.  
“How in the Hades did you do that? YOU?!” I exclaim. She rolls her eyes.  
"Years and years of practice. I did fall out of the tree when I was little, but I got better at it." Dae sighs. From somewhere behind me I hear Ajax laughing.  
“So that’s why you’re so messed up! Because you fell out of the freaking tree so many times when you were little!” Ajax mutters amidst chuckles. I turn around just in time to see Sandra bonk him upside the head.  
“Sometimes the truth hurts” He whispers, earning him a smack from Sandra and devil looks from Aelix AND Eva. I turn my attention back to Dae. Her face is extremely pale –more pale than usual- and a look of astonishment and sorrow is on her face as she stares down at the note.  
“What is it Dae?” Eva tightly asks.  
"It's a clue to who murdered my mother," she states still in shock. Aelix, who has been lounging on her bed sneaks up behind me and stands to my left.  
“Dae, sweetie, come back in here and we can talk about it, okay?” He coaxes whilst making a 'come here kitty' action. The daughter of Dionysus reluctantly climbs back through the window. She grabs one of her pillows off her bed, lays down, and gestures for someone to join her. Whom she intended, we don’t know. Ajax swaggers over to bed, plops himself down, and starts stroking her head.  
“Poor little Hobbit....” Ajax whispers with a slur. Dae scrunches up her face.  
“Go take a bath Gimli, you smell disgusting” Dae says into her pillow. Aelix climbs in behind Dae, wraps an arm around Dae’s waist, and give Ajax a territorial look. Ajax smirks.  
“Got a problem Phillips?”  
Aelix looks at Dae, then at Ajax, then back to Dae quickly.  
“No, just don’t make me have to hurt you” Aelix growls. The two bickering boys don’t notice that Dae, herself, is crying into her purple pillow. Boys can be clueless, heartless assholes sometimes!  
"That's it; all boys out of the room. NOW!" I yell. Cole and Ammon go out quickly, whereas Ajax and Aelix take longer.  
“Why?” Aelix asks at the door. I roll my eyes.  
"Because you and Ajax couldn't stop fighting for one second to realize that Dae is crying!" I furiously exclaim then slam the door in his face, almost breaking off the hinges. Almost. Turning back to Dae, I see Eva trying to coax her out from under the bed sheets.  
“Dae? Come out and talk to us, please?” Eva speaks soothing tones while stroking the lump of comforter that is Dae’s back. Her breathing is very ragged and I can tell she doesn’t like crying in front of people. We position ourselves so Eva is at her back, Sandra is in front of her for hugging when she comes out, and I am near her head with my legs crossed. After about ten-fifteen minutes of crying and us soothing, she FINALLY peaks her head out. Emerald glossy eyes stare at me, her cheeks are flushed, and she still has a few tears streaming down her face. Dae climbs all the way out only to be met by us three giving her a bear-hug.  
“Diona, I know what you are going through. My mom and dad died in a fire when I was about seven.” Sandra tells her. I remember that. Sandra in her pink jammies with her blanket and stuffed cat. Nico and I knew she was a demigod because of the Donkion (Dragon, lion, monkey hybrid) that burned down her house all to get to Sandra. What she doesn’t know is that Nico and I killed that creature ourselves. She doesn’t know about the Donkion or that we killed it.  
I notice Dae is taking out her bun. She gives Sandra another hug.  
“You lost your brother?” Dae exclaims miserably. Sandra nods.  
“He was only 8 months in my mother’s stomach” Sandra whispers. Suddenly Ammon bursts through the door.  
“What part of ‘no boys allowed’ don’t you understand?!” I inquire. Ammon glances at me then stares at Eva.  
“Aelix found something you all might want to see” He tells us, but Ammon looks at Eva while he is he is saying it. He glances at me with a scared expression then back at Eva. I scare him—good. Dae is the first one out the door and we all follow her.  
Downstairs we find Aelix holding a knife, a piece of paper, a wallet, an empty can of pepper spray, and a phone. Mrs. Envis is no longer on the ground in the kitchen; all that remains of her is dried up brown blood. Ajax is kneeling on his knees with plastic gloves, an apron, and a bunch of cleaning supplies. What’s funny is that his chest is 3 times larger than the apron and you can see his six pac through the cloth.  
“What are you doing wearing MY apron?” Dae shell shocked asks. I whistle.  
“Man who is this sexy beast that replaced Ajax?” I tease.  
"Ha ha. Very funny, Hunt," Ajax replies emotionless. Dae gulps audibly and starts quivering.  
"Where's my mom?" she innocently asks. Eva puts her arm around the shaking girl.  
“We shipped the body off to your aunt- the one in the picture.” Cole calls from the kitchen. I didn’t even see or hear him. At the moment he is searching the fridge.  
“Cole! You know it’s rude to eat out of someone else’s fridge without asking first!” I scold. He pops out to give me is best puppy-dog face look. I roll my eyes.  
“Ask next time” I bark at him. I feel someone tap my shoulder and jump a bit scared. It’s only Aelix- for some reason the son of Phobos’ touch always scare me.  
“I have come to a conclusion. Mrs. Envis was murdered. The murderer used this knife-” he gestures to the knife “to kill her. I found some pepper spray and a wallet near the body. After you kicked us out, we decided to come down here and investigate. My best guess is that the murderer snuck up behind Mrs. Envis while she was doing the dishes. He spoke to her, or made some sort of noise to indicate where he was. Mrs. Envis spun around, used the pepper spray on him, and then tried to call 911 on her cell. The attacker was only affected in one eye and was able to stab her with their weapon. He quickly ran away from the scene of the crime.” Aelix announces.  
Everyone takes a minute to register this in their heads. I glance at Diona, who is softly crying into Sandra’s shoulder, trying not to be noticed.  
“How do you know it was a guy?” I ask  
“Because he left this” Aelix grins mischievously while holding up a brown wrinkly wallet.  
“SO? Who killed her?” I exclaim impatiently. Aelix thinks.  
"I also found a note near the body." He hesitates, "and Dae found one in the tree"  
“I found one on the fridge” Cole announces up with a smile. His teeth are stained red from the popsicle.  
“I found one under my pillow” Dae pipes up while giving Aelix a slip of paper. He opens them up and lays them in an odd order.  
“Can someone read them for the dyslexics in the room?” Cole asks. I roll my eyes but give him a kiss. His lips taste like cherry popsicle.  
“Gold for the essence, Green for the god who hides them, Gold for the ichor, red for the blood that binds them” I read. One single thought passes through most of our minds (except for Eva, Cole and Aelix.)  
The marks on Diona’s arm.  
Kacey’s POV  
“So you LET them all go on the quest? Gods you really ARE a Seaweed Brain aren’t you Percy?!” I yell furiously into the phone. I hear Annabeth in the background smack his arm.  
“Thanks to you, they have a more likely chance of dying! Don’t come crying to me when your sister is dead!” I spit into the phone.  
“Kacey I-” Percy starts but I cut him off for the millionth time today.  
“Just don’t cry me some sob story Perseus Jackson” I sigh. He has said sorry a bunch of times and I do believe him. What I can’t believe is how one of the eldest demigods EVER in the history of their kind can be such.... well a Seaweed Head.  
“How about-”  
“NO”  
“Why can’t I just-”  
“NO!”  
“B-”  
“NO! YOU SHALL DO NOTHING”  
In the background I hear Annabeth whisper in Percy’s ear.  
"Let me talk to Kacey. You know she likes ME better."  
I hear a shift in the phone. Percy’s footsteps are receding.  
“Hey Kacey, how is it going?” Annabeth asks calmly. I don’t know how she can be so calm; she is like 7 months pregnant.  
"Other than the fact that a god is missing and the other gods are outraged and want us to find him by the summer solstice, everything is just peachy. Oh, not to mention that all of the Dionysus kids are upset about losing their father and their ONLY sister," I dryly reply. I sigh. “On a more upbeat note, how’s the baby?”  
Annabeth giggles and sounds like she is going to cry.  
"Actually, I went to see Will yesterday, and as it turns out we are having TWO babies! The gender hasn’t been released yet but we are just super excited.”  
What Annabeth doesn’t know is that we are going to host a baby shower for her. Each cabin is going to give her a gift, and there is going to be a dance. The Aphrodite cabin is currently off duties to arrange it. Piper is in charge of almost everything.  
“Listen, about the demigods.... I think you should send out some well-trained demigods to fetch the unwanted extras.” Annabeth suggests. Suddenly there is a beeping sound coming from their end.  
“Kacey, I got to go... PERCY I TOLD YOU ALREADY THAT YOU DON’T PUT METAL IN THE MICROWAVE!" Annabeth yells the last part. She forgets to disconnect the call.  
“Relax Wisegirl! I am Poseidon’s favorite living son! I can put of the fire using my water abilities” Percy’s voice is faint but still audible.  
“Well then? Put out the damn fire already!”  
I have heard enough. I disconnect the call, throw the phone back in the drawer, and place my head in my hands.

Six minutes later  
There is a soft knock on my door.  
"Come in," I call. Mitchell gallops into my office with two coffees and some donuts.  
“Hey beautiful” his rich Turkish accent is like music to my ears. For a second all my worries are gone. He sets down the drinks and food down on my desk then gives me a kiss on the temple.  
“Just wanted to let you know, Grover brought in two more demigods. One is unconscious and the other won't speak to anyone," he cautiously informs me. I take a big swig of coffee. I sigh audibly.  
“There’s never a dull moment at Camp Half-blood. Where are they?”  
"They are taking the unconscious one to the infirmary and the other one is getting settled down in the unclaimed cabin as we speak. Would you like to see him?” Mitchell loves to meet people but with him being half horse like me, sometimes mortals won’t talk to ‘the perky guy in the wheelchair’. Some demigods, especially newer ones, get scared of us Centaurs. Then again, if Mitchell sends someone in with him.... But who? Nico isn’t exactly the best person for greeting people. Grover has shell-shocked the poor kid. That could possibly be why he is silent. Piper is too busy. Greg maybe? Could I trust him to not do anything crazy?  
“Do you think we could go in with Greg?” I ask slowly. Mitchell thinks for a few minutes, most likely weighing out the pros and cons.  
"Okay. But I think you should bring a means of calming him down—like sedation. Just to be safe”

"I would LOVE to go check out this possible brother of mine," Greg flamboyantly replies. "Not like good ol' pops is gonna stop producing little bastard boys now is he?"  
I’m starting to think that this isn’t a good idea.  
"Now Greg, you do realize that if you try any stunts that we are going to sedate you immediately” Mitchell tells Greg as if he is a seven year old child. Greg swallows and nods.  
"I'll do it on one condition," he ventures. Mitch narrows his eyebrows skeptically.  
“And that would be?”  
“I get to meet the other, currently unconscious brother. Alone.” Greg sticks out his hand. "Swear it on the Styx”  
"I, Mitchell Bishop, swear on the Styx that if you do this –AND WE DON'T HAVE TO SEDATE YOU- that you may talk to the unconscious guy, alone.”  
When they shake hands, a big crack of lightening is heard from above, and I know that Zeus won’t let Mitch live this one down if he doesn’t obey.

I am the first one to enter the unclaimed cabin. We built it so that any unclaimed demigods could stay here instead of the Hermes cabin. Because of Percy's deal with the gods, not many people occupy this cabin. Other than the new guy, three people live here—not because they are unclaimed, but because the infirmary ran out of beds. This cabin has white pillows, white bedspreads, a white floor, and white walls. Off towards the back of the cabin are a few Apollo kids—one whom I recognize to be Sam MacDonald. The daughter of Apollo skips over to us.  
"Why hello, Kacey! What brings you here?" Sam sweetly asks.  
“I am here to see the new guy-the one who won’t talk” I reply, reciprocating her enthusiasm. She smiles even brighter.  
“Okay, he is down visiting his brother as well as getting a check-up” She informs us before she jogs back down the hall. We follow her. Mitch—who has Greg on his lap—follows her first. We wheel our chairs to the ‘doctor’ area of the cabin.  
On one of the beds lays a teen that looks around Diona's age but is 6ft 3in. He is scrawny and has peach skin. His straight black hair has random lime green streaks. Another boy is across from him, but has almost no resemblance to the unconscious guy. He has pasty white skin; a little darker than Diona. He has Maroon colored hair, emerald green eyes, is the same height as Diona and an innocent face. I see they have already given him a CHB shirt. He looks lost and scared.  
One of the other doctors approaches him.  
“Can you please tell me SOMETHING about you?” The male Apollo kid aggravatingly asks. The poor guy looks up at the son of Apollo and does some odd hand gestures. The Apollo kid sighs sorrowfully while writing down something on his clipboard. He notices our motley crew.  
"Kacey, do you think you can help?" he asks me. I nod my head towards Greg. On cue, Greg gets off of Mitchell’s lap and goes to sit beside the boy.  
“Hey there buddy! What’s your name?” Greg slurs. The boy does some more hand gestures. It’s at this point I notice the stitching on his leg. The boy is scared AND in pain.  
“Sam? Get this boy something to help stop the pain” I call alarmingly. Sam moves from the unconscious guy to this boy.  
“Why? Did he say something?” she asks hopefully.  
“No, but I can tell. His stitches hurt” I tell.  
Sam immediately grabs a needle containing what I guess is an Apollo kid invented pain medication. The kid backs up into the wall quickly, shaking his head, and crying softly. Greg looks at him with confusion, but then sees the needle and immediately understands.  
“Bitch, can’t you see he is afraid of needles?” Greg bellows strangely protective. We all gape at him, even Sam—despite the name he just called her.  
“How do you know?” Mitch asks incredulously. Greg smiles slyly.  
“Diona acted similar to needles. Remember when we tried giving her a sedative?”  
The boy snaps, drawing our attention, points to Greg, then touches his nose. Touches his nose...... oh! Right on the nose! But why doesn’t he just talk? Greg scoots back so he is beside the boy. Greg hugs him in such a brotherly way; it’s as if the old Greg Allchoo is back. The caring, compassionate, loved by everyone, big brother that is missed.  
“It’s okay little boy. If you won’t talk, how about we get you a pen and paper? That is assuming you’re not dyslexic.” Greg suggests. The boy nods while getting out of the fetal position. Sam brings him a piece of paper and a pen. The boy quickly scribbles something down. He hands it to Mitchell to read (Mitchell doesn’t have dyslexia) He reads:  
Hello. My name is Martin Summers and my passed out brother is Ugene. The reason I am not talking is because I am mute so I CAN’T talk.  
Sam, Mitch, Greg and I stare at him, mouths a gape. Mitchell mechanically gives back the paper. Martin scribbles some more on it before giving it back to Mitchell.  
Oh and one thing you should know about my brother is that he is sadistic. Don’t let him out of your sight or always have him supervised.  
I glance over nervously to Greg, who is smiling evilly. This doesn’t help my nerves. Then suddenly I realize something: Mitch promised on the Styx to let Greg talk to Ugene…Alone.

Joselyn’s POV  
Dae immediately crosses her arms and backs up into Sandra (she means to go to the wall). I give Sandra a command using my hands, to which she obliges. Sandra pins Dae to the ground so that she can’t escape and pushes her head against the floor. I walk over and lie beside Dae, making sure to look in her eyes.  
“Do you know anything about this?” I calmly ask.  
“About what? I don’t see anything!” Cole exclaims.  
“Same” Eva adds.  
“What exactly are you all freaking out about?” Aelix chimes in.  
“You mean you don’t see them?” I ask astoundingly. Dae coughs from under Sandra.  
“Okay Sandra, get off of her” I order. Eva comes over to me and whispers in my ear  
“Was that really necessary? I’m sure she would have obeyed” Eva exclaims.  
“Are you sure?” I ask. Eva nods.  
“Ahh yeah! You don’t want her to be afraid of us, do you? Maybe the whole reason she tagged along was to run away from Camp Half-blood!”  
I click my tongue.  
“I hadn’t thought about it that way”  
Suddenly, Ajax is behind Dae, grabs her, and clamps a hand over her mouth.  
“Mmmmmmmm!” Dae screams. Ajax pulls her towards a kitchen chair, ties her in a complicated web around the table and chairs, making sure her right hand is clearly displayed out on the table. Dae struggles against the ropes, but it doesn’t help.  
“Ajax? Is this really necessary?!” Aelix and Sandra exclaim. Dae screams, so Ajax gags her with a towel. The rest of us are too in shock to move. Dae tries to get free again, but it only causes her to get rope burn on her wrists and ankles. Tears start to form in her eyes. I am frozen- I don’t know what to do.  
“Ajax! Let her go!” Sandra yells.  
“Not until Cole, Aelix and Eva can see the marks! They must see them in order for our victory to be real! Until then, she is staying like this.” He yells back. Eva, Cole, and Aelix all rush over to the table. Aelix and Eva have tears streaming down their faces.  
Ten minutes seem to drag on to feel like hours but after intense starring, Diona falling asleep (how is that possible?), and tears being shed, Eva finally sits upright.  
“I see them!” she remarkably whispers. “I see them!” she says even louder. Ajax raises an eyebrow skeptically.  
“Everyone but Joselyn, Eva, and Sandra leave.” Ajax barks. The boys obey, quickly dashing out of the room.  
“Trace the perimeter while describing them” Ajax orders.  
“Medium Gold” Eva says while circling her finger around the first circle. Diona stirs in her slumber, her face contorting in discomfort.  
“Large green” Eva’s finger circles the second one. Dae wakes up, consciousness slowly coming back to her. She squirms to try and get free again but rolls her eyes and admits defeat. She is tired of fighting-her spirit is gone. This isn’t right! No one should have to put up with this!  
“Medium gold” Eva’s finger circles the third one.  
“Small red” Eva whispers while circling her finger around the last one. Ajax nods approvingly. Suddenly, Sandra readies an arrow to shoot at Dae!  
“Sandra?! What are you thinking?!” I whisper in alert. She shoots the arrow, and it snags a few ropes, allowing the girl to be free. Dae stumbles out of the chair, and runs into the safety of Eva’s arms. Eva hugs her back while they run over to stand behind me. I give Dae a hug as well.  
“He is going to pay” I inform them. Dae runs out and into the living room. We all follow.  
“Sandra! What the hell?” Ajax screams at her. Sandra stands in front of him, looking up defiantly.  
“Ajax, you have changed. You go around hurting my friends, expecting me to go along with it, which isn’t the Ajax Victor I fell in love with. I have given you a lot of second chances, but now it’s your last chance. From now on, you will not hurt anyone in this group intentionally, CLEAR?!” Sandra’s voice goes from her usual to a shrill. Finally she stands up to that asshole! Gods, he drives me crazy; he way he goes around hurting people and trying to make us females feel less dominant. That stops now. Ajax sets his jaw and stays quiet.  
I pass the couple- not before giving Ajax a good punch in the face- to enter the living room. Aelix and Dae are hugging, while Cole surfs the TV channels for something good. Ammon is sitting next to Cole. Aelix and Dae part, Aelix holds out the wallet, looking at her with seriousness. Dae’s jaw drops.  
“I totally forgot! Whose wallet did you find?” Dae exclaims. Aelix looks at it, scrunches his eyebrows in confusion, then looks up at Dae.  
“Do you know anyone named Ryan Clark?”


	15. Patrick

Chapter 15- Patrick

Evaline's POV

Diona's scared puppy-dog face switches immediately. Her pupils dilate, the little color in her face disappears, her muscles visibly tense, and her mouth forms a thin line. The one thing we can tell from her reaction is that whoever this Ryan Clark is, he and Diona have had some negative history. Aelix looks at her expectantly, apparently not seeing her reaction.  
Oh Aelix...  
"Well?" he asks.  
"That ass!" Diona softly mutters as she stands up. Dae storms out of the living room, grabs a pair of keys, and starts putting on her shoes. I stride over to her and grab her arm forceful but not too hard.  
"What is it? Who is Ryan Clark?" I demand. The girl ignores my question.  
"I am going to freaking kill that bitch!" She says through clenched teeth. Behind her I spot Joselyn and Sandra sneaking over to the door to make a human barricade.  
"Okay, calm down. We will help you after we find Dionysus, alright?" I suggest. Diona stays silent, looking as if she is weighing out the options. I look at her; she is still in her pajamas.  
"Plus," I add "You are still in your pajamas! You wouldn't want to go out in those! How about we crash here tonight and wait until tomorrow to find Dionysus."  
She still doesn't respond. Suddenly, she makes a break for the door, but is soon greeted by Sandra and Joselyn. Joselyn trips the girl so she falls into Sandra's waiting arms. Diona kicks and thrashes but Sandra has a firm hold on her. Joselyn picks up her legs, ties them with her whip, and the two carry her into the living room.  
It's funny how none of her neighbors have complained about the noise, I think.  
"Great news; we are staying the night!" Joselyn announces. Aelix smiles with a gleam in his eye.  
"How about each pair gets a room?" Aelix suggests, eyeing Josie's captive with a goofy smirk on his face.  
"Or... Girls in one room and boys in another because we only have three rooms upstairs; my room, my mom's room, and the guest room. Boys get the guest room, and girls get my room" Dae suggests. She seems to come out of her bloodlust rage and back to her normal self.  
"Wanna know what I find weird," Ammon pipes up. We all stare at him. "That Diona has been knocked out, has passed out, and has been tied up/restrained the most, but she is the second oldest." We all stare silently at him. You could have heard a pin drop.  
"That's because," Ajax slowly drawls "Diona is a mentally unstable, hormonal, small runt, reckless, immature, slutty and temperamental bitch who is a WEAKLING!" he yells the last part. Ajax looks around the room, and when his eyes meet mine, I see that they aren't the green-hazel we are used to; they are red. Looking at Dae, I see that she is trying not to cry- her emerald green eyes are glassy. Ajax strides up to her, kicks her square in the rib cage, and punches them for extra effect.  
"Weak," he spits before walking away calmly. Diona squeaks while crumpling to the ground, her arms around her torso. She curls up into a ball.  
"Ajax!" We all yell. Sandra is the most quick to Dae's side, trying to get her to uncurl so she can inspect the damage. I join her, along with Joselyn. Sandra pulls out a needle.  
"What is that for?" Joselyn asks.  
"It's a sedative. Ajax isn't like this usually- only during training and he doesn't hurt anyone he is teaching!" She hands it to Joselyn "Can you administer it?"  
Josie nods and quickly runs off. I see her whisper something to Cole, Ammon, and Aelix. The boys all go in different directions, and a grunt later I hear Ajax curse loudly. Turning back to Sandra and Dae, I see that she is having no luck.  
"Can you help please?" Sandra asks. I nod.  
Taking away the hair so that I can see her face, I can see that she is sweating. Ammon is right; she sort of has been the punching bag. Or in Ajax's case, kicking bag. My foot is fine now; it just tingles when I put pressure near the wound.  
"Dae, Please roll over so I can help?" Sandra coaxes.  
"If you don't roll over, you will have to get a needle," I whisper into her ear. I know, it's mean but it works. Her eyes shoot open; she rolls over onto her back, and reveals her stomach/rib cage area. Only a barely audible noise escapes her mouth.  
The worst part of her wound is the middle. It is blue, purple and red and looks like a blurry archery board with those colors. There is, however, some swelling.  
"My guess is that Ajax is wearing steel-toed boots," Sandra tells me amidst taking out some odd liquids. She mixes a green and brown together, puts some odd powder in it, and shakes the container. Sandra attempts to apply it, but as soon as she touches Dae's stomach, Diona's hands robotically swat away the medicine. It spills all over the carpet.  
"Crap! That was the last of the ingredients for the healing potion!" Sandra scolds.  
Without much thought, I bolt to the fridge. What for? I have no clue. My instincts tell me that there is something in there that can help. When I open the fridge I find it half filled with alcoholic beverages half with actual food.  
Great so her mother was an alcoholic, I think.  
My eyes finally see something that could help Dae. I snatch it immediately and run back to the living room. I find Sandra straddling Dae, Joselyn holding her hands over her head. Sandra has a needle with some clear liquid in it.  
"Eva, where did you go?" Sandra asks accusingly. I hold up the grape popsicles I found.  
"I think Dae would prefer popsicles over a sedative," I question, raising an eyebrow. Dae tenses in her current position.  
"Sedative?" She whimpers. Diona sits up really quickly which causes her to bonk heads with Sandra, and pain shoot through her torso. Sandra rubs her head with her free hand.  
"Ow..." she complains.  
"No sedative, but I do have some grape popsicles!" I inform the poor Daughter of Dionysus. She relaxes visibly. Sandra heats up the popsicles so that they melt (she does this by creating a mini sun in her hand and directing its rays at the popsicle bag), pours the liquid into a vial, and applies it to the bruise. We all watch in amazement as the wound dissolves into a mist, come off the girl's stomach, and disappear into thin air. At this point, the guys- minus Ajax- have re-entered the room and are starring in amazement with us. Joselyn, in a state of amazement, let's go of Dae's arms.  
"What? Why are all of you starring at me?" Dae exclaims alarmingly. She lowers her shirt, crosses her arms, her face turning red.  
"Can you, um..." Diona starts but Sandra seems to know what Dae wants. She gets off of the daughter of Dionysus.  
"Right, sorry. Perhaps we should all get some food then some rest?" Sandra suggests. Everyone nods in agreement.  
Once settled in- us girls are borrowing some pajamas from Dae. They are a bit small, but we don't complain; it's either this, or sleep in dirty clothes. Joselyn and I decide to try out a special charm we learnt so that no monster can attack the house. Only two children from the Big Three can do this charm.  
"By the power of Hades the God of Death, may we not breathe our final breath. Protect the house from monster attacks, and I shall know you have by back," Joselyn chants while holding up her arms. A black mist starts engulfing the house. My turn.  
"Poseidon, Dad, Lord of the Sea; let my fate be put on thee. Protect this house with all your might; or watch your only daughter go down in a fight," I chant. A blue mist mixes with the black, swirling around the house.  
Almost done...  
"Tonight our powers will be one, at least until the task is done," We chant together. Joselyn and I clasp hands causing the mist to remove itself from Diona's house to create a barrier. Josie and I let go hands both of us smiling in satisfaction.  
Grrrr.  
"That's my stomach!" Josie explains when I give her an odd look. "We haven't had supper yet"  
"And why is that?" I  
"Because it is impolite to ask for Dae to make us all food," Joselyn says as if reciting something from a textbook. I smile.  
"Good"  
But when we re-enter the house, a succulent aroma invades our noses. We walk into the dining room to reveal everyone except Dae at the dinner table.  
"Where is Dae?" I ask while taking a seat next to Ammon. Looking around, I notice that some people are sitting in lawn chairs (one of them being Ajax, whom is tied to it in the living room). In the center of the table is a fruit basket filled with a variety of berries. Aelix plucks off a grape.  
"Grapegirl is in the kitchen," He replies with a smile. Joselyn laughs while shining an apple on her shirt.  
"Grapegirl?!" I exclaim "Seriously, you guys couldn't come up with anything better?"  
Cole smiles menacingly.  
"I suggested," he puts a hand around his mouth "dur de de durrr" his voice drops "Winewoman!" Cole uncovers his mouth "But Dae said that if I called her that, she would slice me up and put me in a Taco"  
Okay, even I laugh at that.  
"You bet I would!" Dae calls before entering the dining room. In her hands is a BIG pot of spaghetti, she has an apron over her pajamas, and a smug look on her face.  
"Oh... kay folks!" She huffs while setting down the big pot down on the table. "I will be right back with the sauce, meatballs, spices, and various toppings," Grapegirl announces before skipping back out into the kitchen. Aelix and Sandra are practically jumping out of their seats in excitement. When she comes out, her hands and arms are literally full with bowls carrying different spices, toppings, and meat.  
"I have meat balls for our meat-lovers; some Mexican spices," she glances dramatically at Cole and Joselyn "jalapeños, red, green, and yellow peppers, tomatoes, basil, and tomato sauce," She finishes while spreading out the toppings out across a nearby counter. Cole is the first to dig in, snatching the jalapeños and Mexican spices off the table. Joselyn looks at him expectantly but Cole just stuffs his face.  
"Cole?" Joselyn tightly says. The man in question looks up from his plate, brown eyes wide, a spaghetti noodle and jalapeño slowly dripping down his chin.  
"Mmmhmmm?"  
"What do you say?"  
Cole swallows is food.  
"Thanks Winew- I mean Grapegirl," He calls to Dae- who is getting us drinks. We all chorus in with him, voicing our gratitude. When Dae comes out she is blushing.  
"It was nothing," She chides. Aelix slams his hands down on the table, causing some cutlery to shake. Ammon beside me flinches.  
"Nothing? You made food for SEVEN freaking PEOPLE!" He exclaims, only causing Dae to blush a deeper red.  
Silence follows as we chow down at our lovely meal. We haven't eaten this much for a while. At CHB we get one small bowl of spaghetti and a little bit of sauce. Here we can have seconds! (Or in Cole's case, thirds). I see Sandra putting some spaghetti in a container for Ajax.  
Speaking of Ajax, what's gotten into him? He is usually only vicious during Strength class but nothing to this degree. He freaking BRUISED Dae's torso! This does prove, however that if we are to save Dionysus with her tagging along, she will have to get into shape and learn how to fight. Back to the point, I know the real Ajax; he is actually very nice. Well, he doesn't beat people up for no reason, or call them bad names. Maybe he just REALLY hates Diona... But what did she do to deserve that? For the most part, he should be glad that Dae isn't a threat.... or IS she?  
"So, Dae, where are you getting all this cooking talent from?" Aelix asks with a mouth full of food. She looks up from her spaghetti, causing all of us to chuckle. She has sauce all over her mouth and chin.  
"Aaron Warell, one of my mom's old boyfriends. He had a knack for cooking things and gave me some cook books" She explains. But her face turns dark. She goes in for another bite. "That was, when he wasn't torturing me" She takes a huge amount of spaghetti. I see Joselyn put a hand on her belt buckle- putting her whip in the ready position.  
"What did you say?" Aelix demands. Aelix looks at Dae, in the eyes, clearly nervous. She swallows.  
"Nothing," she squeaks before shoving another mouthful of spaghetti in her mouth.  
Not this routine again... I think.  
"How come you never mentioned this before?" Aelix whispers. Dae shrugs.  
"No one ever asked, and it never came up the conversation," She replies with a mouthful.  
"Yeah, because you just don't ask those types of questions!" I exclaim. I give Diona an once-over; she doesn't have any marks to reveal what the torture method was. Diona looks at everyone before sliding down in her chair.  
"Stop starring at me like I'm some sort of freak!" She yells from under the table. Joselyn stands up, but Cole grabs her shoulder lightly tugging her to sit down. Aelix puts one hand on her back, causing Diona to jump.  
"Do we need to call Mitchell? Or do you want to talk about it with us?" She doesn't respond, but sits back in her chair, not making eye contact with anyone. She stands up, takes away our plates, the near-empty pot of pasta, and the empty topping bowls. Once out in the kitchen and out of earshot, Cole pipes up.  
"There are no visible marks or bruises on her body!"  
"How is that possible?" Sandra thinks out loud.  
"Maybe tonight we can see if she tells us anything," Joselyn suggests. "Not many demigods have gotten tortured by their STEP-FATHERS!"  
Everyone goes silent. There is a knock on the door.  
"Dae, who is that?" Aelix calls. Diona comes rushing back in; her eyes wild and she looks panicked.  
"Cole, Ammon, and Sandra, get Ajax and hide him in the guest room. Stay there until I tell you that it's clear. Eva, Aelix, and Joselyn, do you want to meet my mother's most recent boyfriend?" We don't get the chance to answer. The first group does what they are told, and get upstairs just in time.  
"Damn keys..." We hear a male voice harshly whisper. Dae runs out to the foyer.  
"Hey Patrick!" She cheerily greets.  
"Diana, where the hell have you been?" The guy says. "I have been worried sick about you!"  
"Sorry Patrick! I can explain, sort of. But first, can I introduce you to some of my friends from school?" Dae is back to her cheery self again.  
"Yes, but you need to explain where you went..." He sounds a bit angry.  
Two pairs of footsteps get louder until they enter. Patrick is a stereotype nerd. No joke; he is around Joselyn's height, wears thick, black glasses, hair slicked back, blue eyes, and is scrawny. To top it all off, he wears a tacky polo shirt and slick black pants.  
"Patrick, this is Aelix," She gestures to Aelix, whom waves excitingly "Joselyn," she gestures to Joselyn (whom is trying not to laugh at Patrick) "and Eva" I smile and wave. Patrick skips over Josie and I, walks up to Aelix.  
"What is your status with Diana?" He asks. It is at this moment that I notice Patrick's brief case. It is a new-looking one that has an FBI label on it.  
"Diana's-" but he gets cut off.  
"Can they stay pleeease?" She begs like a little child who really wants a new toy.  
"Yes," Patrick caves. "But for only one night." Dae's mother's boyfriend looks around. "Where is your mother? She hasn't been around lately. I was just wondering how she is- our last date got interrupted by the call that you went missing. I haven't seen her since."  
Dae's face goes from perky to depressed.  
"The reason I disappeared was because of her."  
Patrick's facial expression goes from curious to one of recognition.  
"And how come you haven't been going to your new school? They contacted me saying that they couldn't reach your mother, so they called me to see if I knew of your whereabouts. So I tried calling her a few days later and came up with nothing. She hadn't given me her address yet so through work I found it- that happened yesterday- and came here today"  
"I got a call during class saying that she was in trouble. You know how she is allergic to all nuts? Well she accidentally had a cookie that had nuts in it. She decided to call me instead of 911..." Diona's eyes get glassy. Patrick wraps his arms around her in a warm embrace. He looks up at us and mouths three words:  
Someone is next.  
"Diana? How about we go upstairs?" Aelix suggests nervously. Pat and Dae split, we all go to our designated rooms, and in Dae's room, Joselyn tries to get Dae to spill information.  
"Aaron Warell..... Let me get this straight- he was nice to you, when?"  
Dae is, at the moment, cleaning up her room. She folds some shirts and puts them in her closet.  
"Usually during the day; He would torture me at night in the sound proof basement," She replies emotionlessly.  
"I didn't see any stairs to the basement though!" Joselyn counters. Sandra is copying down her responses on a notepad. Sandra and I are sitting on Dae's bed, Josie sitting on a beanbag chair.  
"There is a secret passage under the rug in the kitchen."  
"And why don't we see any scars or bruises?" Joselyn cautiously asks.  
"Aaron would either give me this magic medicine that made most of them go away, or he would give me an injection of this weird liquid. He told me it would make me stronger, but I had no improvements during gym class and it certainly didn't help with the scars," still emotionless.  
"Wait, magic medicine?" Sandra questions. Being a daughter of Apollo, she knows that there are only two substances that can heal demigods quickly; Ambrosia and Nectar. Dae puts away the last of the clothes, and joins us to sit on the bed.  
"Yup," she yawns "well, I think I need some sleep. See you girls in the morning!" With that, Sandra and I move so she can sleep. After ten minutes of pure silence, we start to hear Dae snore softly. Sandra checks to make sure Dae is actually asleep. She gives thumbs up. The first thing Joselyn does is break down crying.  
"How can someone so small carry so much baggage!" she cries.  
What I'm wondering is what exactly Patrick is. He isn't a monster; otherwise he wouldn't make it past the barrier. He isn't mortal, that's for sure. He could be a rouge satyr. There is the possibility of a Titan or a God...  
"Speaking of that, did you notice how she said MOST of them go away? That means that there are some still on her!" Sandra says in sorrow amazement.  
"How come you didn't see any when she first washed up on CHB?" Joselyn asks her. Sandra blushes.  
"No one- or, no girls I should say- felt comfortable examining her. It also didn't seem logical, the wounds only being on her shoulders and legs." Sandra matter-of-factly informs her. Joselyn bites her lip.  
"Why, Aaron? Why do you do this?!" Dae cries in her sleep. We all turn in horror to look at the daughter of Dionysus. Dae is tossing and turning, thrashing and kicking around. She is having a nightmare. She lets out a blood-curdling scream that scares me right to the bone. Suddenly, Aelix bursts into the room. He looks around in panic, then his eyes rest on Dae. He bounds to her side, a sick look on his face like he is going to throw up. At his touch, Dae calms down instantly. Aelix has one hand around her waist, the other stroking her hair. He positions them so that Dae is cuddling up to him.  
"Shh, shh, It's alright; Aelix is here now" He soothes. Soon enough, she starts snoring lightly again.  
"How did you do that?" I whisper in amazement and slight doubt. Aelix plants a kiss on Dae's forehead.  
"My father is Phobos, the God of Fear. While most of my siblings like giving/ casting/ projecting fear, I like taking it away. Most of my powers revolve around that. I can sense when some close to me is experiencing fear—this includes nightmares—and I can take it away momentarily by touching them. As long as I am touching them, they won't be fearful. I can also inflict fear, transform into my opponent's fear, and so much more. Not all my powers are good but it is those that we act on that shape who we are as a person," He explains. Joselyn whistles.  
"Deep"

After about two hours of Joselyn and Sandra playing a board game they found in Dae's closet, Aelix braiding and unbraiding Diona's hair, and several attempts of drawing the Dae/Aelix scene in my sketchbook (it's magic- it can shrink down to a piece of gum so I can store it with my sword. A gift from Poseidon) Joselyn sighs and tosses her money at Sandra.  
"Dang it Sandra, you beat me at Monopoly AGAIN!" She stands up, walks over to sit beside me, and looks at my drawing.  
"Aelix, if you two aren't a couple, why are you acting all boyfriend-like?"  
Aelix blushes a bit.  
"I haven't officially asked her to be my girlfriend... I want to do something to woo her" He explains sheepishly.  
"Trust me, you already HAVE wooed her" Joselyn reassures him. Aelix perks up at this; his eyebrows rise, eyes widen, and he looks generally surprised.  
"Really?!"  
"YEAH!" We say in unison. We are too loud though, and Dae wakes up. She looks up at Aelix with a confused look.  
"Aelix? What the- how did- huh?"  
Poor innocent Diona...  
Aelix pushes her head softly back onto the pillow.  
"Go to sleep; it's okay," He soothes while stroking her head.  
"Keep it PG you two!" Joselyn giggles. Aelix gives her an 'oh really?' look.  
"How about we bring Cole in here? That would create some R rated content," Aelix counters.  
"How can it not? He is hot; hot like fire!" That sends us into laughter. A big snort from Dae sends us into even more laughter. She rolls onto her belly, causing Aelix to have to reposition. Suddenly his face turns serious. His eyes start shining with tears that he tries to fight them back.  
"What is it Aelix?" Joselyn asks. Aelix's hand is positioned on her back.  
"I found a scar that wasn't healed"  
Sandra is quickly at Dae's side, as am I. Dae herself is thankfully asleep like a log. Aelix lifts up her shirt to reveal many dots along her back, and some long, thin scars. Whip marks. Joselyn starts to cry softly, but still audible.  
"I swear Aaron Warell WILL pay…if we can find him."  
Sandra ignores her.  
"The dots are from multiple injections—which would be why she is so afraid of needles. I'm guessing that the whip marks are from her maybe 'misbehaving' in Aaron's opinion? But some of these look really old... So she probably developed the fear at a young age," Sandra explains.  
This is too over-whelming. I can't look at her now- I'm too emotionally and physically drained.  
"I'm off to sleep. Goodnight."  
As soon as my head hits the pillow, I transport to the world of slumber...

Morning- Sandra’s POV  
"Who... the HELL... are YOU?" An angry voice breathes in my ear. When I finally can see really clear, I see a stereotype nerd pointing a sword at my neck. The sword is glowing green- it's poisoned.  
"Sandra Anderson. Who are you?" I sneer at him. He laughs evilly.  
"Your doom. I told the others that someone is going to die. Looks like you're out of luck."  
I look around to see my surroundings. I am in Dae's bedroom, the others are asleep.  
How are they asleep?  
The nerd must know what I am thinking.  
"No one can save you- they are all under sleeping powder that I snatched from Hypnos. All three of your roommates will wake up in 1, maybe 2 hours. But the poison will have already done its damage."  
Wait, he said three! That means he thinks Aelix is in another room, and he doesn't know about Ammon, Cole, or Ajax! If Joselyn was wake she could have shadow-travelled me somewhere... Or Ammon with is teleporting powers... Wait! What if Aelix got hit with the powder? I start conjuring fearful images- most having to do with fire. I soon am crying, which apparently amuses the nerd.  
"That's right- cry! No one can save you!"  
He takes the poisoned sword and plunges it into my shoulder. I do the only thing I can- Scream. My vision starts to blur, and in a matter of seconds I see six spinning nerds looking down at me. My head feels lighter than helium. I can sense the poison coursing through my blood. I start blinking rapidly. The nerds run away before everything goes black.

Joselyn’s POV  
"Joselyn!!!" Dae cries. I am taken out of my wonderful slumber by Diona. She looks down at me really worried and I can see tears streaming down her pale face.  
"What is it Diona?" I groan while sitting up. Eva and Aelix are still asleep, Aelix on Diona's bed.  
"Ajax has Sandra, she is in trouble!" the girl cries.  
"What kind of trouble?" I ask cautiously.  
"I don't know.... She has foam coming from her mouth, she's gone cold and is unresponsive" she says so quickly I barely catch it. I leap up from my sleeping bag and book it downstairs. Everything Grapegirl said is true. Ajax is by Sandra's side, holding onto her hand for dear life. He is crying. As soon as I am spotted, he bounds over and grabs my shoulders. Ajax looks me straight in the eyes.  
"Do something!" He whispers. I rush to my friend's side. Just from Dae's description I could tell that it was poison. Patrick probably did this; who else would? Certainly no one from the group. Before giving that asshole a piece of my mind (and a fist, possibly a few spikes) I know that someone has to save her. I can't, who can?  
"I can't cure her," I state sorrowly. I look back to see that Ajax is ONTOP of Diona, trying her use her for physical and emotional support. But due to their size difference they both crash to the floor. The only reason I know Diona is there is because of her long black curls sticking out from underneath of Ajax's face. Ajax looks up at me.  
"What?!" The son of Nike yells. He gets up off of the poor girl and stomps up to me. I am not scared of Ajax. I will also not crumple like a cookie of milky emotions. I must be strong for Sandra no matter how bad I want to join Ajax and Dae's crying party.  
"I said that I personally can't cure her. DO you know anyone that can?"  
"Is there anything I can do?" Dae pipes up. "WILL there be enough time to message camp?"  
Will there be enough time to alert camp? Will... Will... WILL! That's it!  
"Dae! You're a genius!" I cry out. She looks at me confused.  
"I am?"  
"I can shadow travel Sandra to Will Solace's house! Will is Sandra's half-brother. He can help her!" I explain. I grab the daughter of Apollo, look around for a shadow to hop into, and when I spot one, Ajax puts a firm hand on my shoulder.  
"I'm coming with you," He states. I shrug him off.  
"No, you would just cry the whole time. I'm going alone." I bound to the shadow, but right before I hop into it, I feel small arms wrap around my waist at the last second. I jump into the shadow, not able to look to see who it is, or shrug them off.


	16. WILL he save her?

Chapter 16 WILL he save her?

Joselyn’s POV  
The first thing about shadow travelling that everyone knows; I am awesome at it. I don’t mean to brag, but I have always been better at it than Nico. By myself, shadow travelling is easy and I don't have any side effects. With someone else is a bit harder, but I only feel slightly winded. Two people plus I, and I feel light headed. But I didn’t mean to bring a certain Daughter of Dionysus along with me. Since this is her first time shadow travelling, she collapses to the floor as soon as we reach the outside of his apartment. She is probably feeling nauseous and dizzy. I poke my toe at her.  
“How are you feeling?” I ask  
“Like crap, but better than Sandra,” She moans. Suddenly from a plant nearby, thin, elegant green vines shoot out of the pot and ring the doorbell.  
“Dae, what was that?” I exclaim.  
“You can’t ring the doorbell so I rang it in my own unique little way” She grumbles. The vines then snake over to the girl’s body and lift her to a standing position just as the door opens.  
"Will, can you-" I start, but stop when I don't see him. The man standing before us has dark, scruffy, matted hair, a gloomy and dazed expression, a robe on over a pair of jeans that cover his average-sized body. There is a fine layer of stubble on his face, and he is holding an empty beer bottle. The man runs his unoccupied hand through his rat-nest hair.  
“You looking for Will?” His voice is gruff. I nod.  
“Alright, come on in. You six wait on the couch while I fetch him” Without allowing me to correct his numbers, he stalks off into the apartment. We follow; Dae walking like her legs are made of jelly. The scruffy guy goes over to the beginning of a hallway.  
"WILL, YOU HAVE PATIENTS!" he yells, not too nicely. The apartment isn't the stereotypical grimy gross kind. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a stylish, fancy kitchen and an average sized living room. The living room has two couches (one yellow, one orange), a lazyboy chair, and a flat screen TV. We sit on the yellow couch because the orange couch looks like someone has slept on it; it has blankets and pillows that are wrinkly. Which doesn't make sense seeing as there are FOUR bedrooms.  
“Aaahhh” Sighs Diona as she plops herself down on the lazyboy. She reclines it, lies back, and closes her eyes. Out of one of the bedrooms strides Will, who is tying up his doctor outfit. It’s all wrinkled and the stethoscope is put on incorrectly.  
“Sorry about this,” Apollo’s son gestures to himself “but I was... preoccupied” When his eyes settle on my fallen (now) green-faced friend, he sobers up.  
“Oh Sandra!” He exclaims and takes her away from me. Will brings her into one of the bedrooms.  
“Jake! I’m going to perform emergency surgery, so can you cancel all of my flu shot appointments?” We hear him yell. Another voice shouts:  
“I’m on it!”  
Gods, let her live! I send a prayer to my dad to NOT take her from me. Sandra can’t die- she just can’t! Another voice snaps at me don’t think like that! This is SANDRA ANDERSON we are talking about here!  
I don’t realize I’m crying until Scruffy offers me a tissue. I accept.  
“Who the Hades are you?” He grumpily asks.  
“I’m Joselyn Hunt, Daughter of Hades. The girl sprawled out on the lazyboy is Dae, Daughter of Dionysus” I tell him through sniffles. He laughs hysterically.  
“Daughter of Dionysus?! Ha ha oh gods THAT is a good one!” He bellows while doubling over. "There hasn't been one of those in like 50 years and she died on her first quest!" He laughs until he realizes I’m dead serious.  
“Alright, Miss Dae, prove to me that you are what this girl claims” He flamboyantly orders. Dae declines the chair, stands up, and walks to the center of the room. She has gotten over the dizziness, for she walks fine. Dae holds out her hand, palm up. I’m intrigued by this- all I really know about her powers is that she can control vines- and that’s a skill all children of Dionysus can master.  
A little white thing appears in her hand.  
“A tic-tac?” I look at her questioningly. She shakes her head, her black curls jiggling.  
“It’s a drug that helps insomnia. I figured out that I can make any drug I want appear in my palm. I did this for Greg one night, and for Ammon.” She explains.  
“More!” Scruffy cheers. Dae turns around so that we can see her back. Suddenly, big, luscious, purple grape start growing from her hair. Without thinking, I pluck one off, then immediately feel sorry.  
“Did that hurt?” I ask “And are they safe?” Diona turns to face me again.  
“No, and yes. Turns out, the bowl of grapes Greg offered me during the” she shudders “healing process came from my hair. I didn’t feel a thing” She turns to Mr. Scruffy. “Impressed yet?”  
He strokes his stubble.  
“Not entirely,” He reaches over and plucks off a grape. “Do something that will absolutely wow me” Scruffy commands.  
Why is he getting Dae to do all this for him?  
Dae sighs and snatches the bottle away from him.  
“Hey!” He complains. Dae runs out to the kitchen, I hear a tap run, and when she comes out, the bottle is filled with water. The bottle is clear so I can see that it’s water. Suddenly, the water turns red. Dae non-chalantly gives it back to Scruffy. After deep examination, Scruffy takes a sip and swears in Greek.  
“There has NEVER been a child of Dionysus who can turn water to wine before!” He whispers, stunned at what Dae just did.  
“Who ARE you?” Dae questions. She looks silly right now; the girl has her hands crossed in front of her chest, her head cocked to one side-the curls going along with it- and her lips are pursed. This is the sassy side of her. Scruffy stands up, offering her his hand. She hesitantly takes it but when she does, Mr. Scruffy pulls her closer and throws her over his shoulder. Dae starts pounding on his back.  
“Put me down!” Dae screeches. I ready my whip.  
“Put... Her... Down... NOW” I command with as much venom that I can muster.  
“Oh, SO threatening!” He mocks. Dae kicks him in the groin; he drops her instantly.  
“That’s NO way to treat your older brother!” he raspily informs her while holding his groin. She must have kicked him REALLY hard. Dae unsheathes one of her daggers (from the sheath hidden under her pajama pants) and points it at Scruffy.  
“You weren’t exactly treating me the best either” She counters. “Wait, brother?”  
He reaches out one of his hands.  
“I’m Pollux, Son of Dionysus”  
Just then, Will enters the living room. I release the grip on my belt buckle while Dae puts away her dagger. This is when I notice that Dae and I are both still in our pajamas.  
"Sandra is stable, the poison is gone, but she lost a lot of blood. Do any of you know your blood types?” He tells us. Dae’s eyes widen as she looks at Will’s hands; they are covered in blood. We shake our heads robotically.  
“Jake, get the blood machine ready” Will calls back while disposing his gloves. Dae doesn’t faint (thankfully). Instead, she sprints over to me, plops herself on the couch, and snuggles up to me as much as she can. Will looks at her confused.  
She is terrified of needles, I mouth to him.  
Sorry, He mouths back. He approaches us with a kind and caring persona.  
“Who is this?” He asks calmly. I start rubbing her back.  
“Diona” I reply. He moves some curls away from her face, but this only causes her to shrink into me more.  
“It won’t hurt a bit, I promise” He calmly says. I can’t feel Dae start to shake.  
“That’s they all said. That’s what Aaron said. And they all lied!” Dae cries into my shirt.  
“Well, these doctors weren’t demigods. They didn’t have a secret method for it not to hurt” Will whispers matter-of-factly. After Dae refuses again, he tries a different tactic.  
“What if Joselyn were to come with you?” Dae nods at this, but she doesn’t look too happy or pleased.  
“How about you run ahead, and we will be with you in just a second? Jake can show you”  
I look up to see that Jake is waiting by the hallway entry. Dae runs over to him, and clings to his side. She starts to sob, so Jake picks her up into his arms to carry her. Will pulls me into the kitchen.  
“I’m going to give her an Apollo-invented pill that will knock her out, but I need your permission. I’m guessing that she won’t listen to what I say and just totally freak out. I don’t want to put her through that. I will crush and hide the pill into a glass of water”  
Clever...  
“That’ll work”

When Will and I get into Will’s office, Cole’s brother Jake is there, kneeling near the son of Apollo’s desk. Dae is hyperventilating in a bag from underneath it.  
“Come on out now- you’re doing great! Just keep on breathing into that paper bag...” Jake commands. As soon as Diona sees me, she drops the paper bag a bolts to my side. She reminds me of a frightened 5 year old right now. Will offers her some water.  
“How about some water to help calm your nerves?” He tries to be as enticing as he can. Dae takes the water, downs it in one go, then gives it back to Will.  
“That was refreshing!” She sighs contently. After a minute or two, her face scrunches up in confusion. She holds her stomach.  
“I don’t feel too good” She mumbles. Her legs give out, and I catch her before she hits the ground. I carry Dae over to the medical bed at the back of Will’s office; settle her down and her breath slows down.  
“Josie? Why do I feel funny?” She asks. Diona tries to keep her eyes open.  
“Don’t fight it bud,” I gently order “We gave you a sleeping pill in the water you chugged down so fast”  
Her eyes look at me alarmingly.  
“You WHAT?!” She screams. The scream takes up the last of her energy, and she goes unconscious. Will rushes into the room, a panicked look in his eye and a needle full of clear liquid in his hand.  
“I heard a scream?”  
“That was Dae but she is good now. Why do you have that?” I question.  
“A sedative- just in case” He glances at Dae “But I can see that I won’t need it”

(Later after the blood tests)  
We all wait patiently in the living room. Pollux is passed out in a drunken stupor, Jake is leaning against the wall twiddling his thumbs, I am pacing the room, and Dae is in the lazyboy ticked off at me.  
“How could you Joselyn? I was GOING to face my fear!”  
“You chose to come along, you face the consequences. I think you should be thanking me, you were looking pretty nervous and like a basket case” I retaliate. Dae scoffs and rolls her eyes just as Will enters. He is carrying a glass of orange juice, but almost spills it because of the fact that he is walking like he went on the tilt-a-whirl one too many times.  
“So? What were the results?” Diona asks nervously. Will takes a big swig of orange juice.  
“Dae, you are a match”  
I immediately stop pacing, Jake looks up, and Dae lets out a noise that sounds like a dying mouse. I walk over to offer emotional support, but pick her up as well. She doesn’t cry into my shirt. I carry her into Will’s office- but Will himself stops me in my track.  
“I was also a match and took some of my own blood”  
Dae and I gawk, Dae says thank you, and Jake helps Will into the kitchen.  
5 minutes later  
“Joselyn?” Eva’s voice calls. I whip around to see that Eva is on the TV via Iris message. “Why did you leave me with 3 emotional wrecks?” She exclaims accusingly. “Ajax has been sobbing in the bathroom; Aelix is having a mental breakdown; Ammon is no where’s to be found; and Cole is throwing fireballs-” Evaline gets cut off by an explosion. “Be right back” She mutters quickly before running off.  
“Cole, don’t MAKE me give you a time out in the bathtub!” We hear her yell. A fire ball whizzes past the screen, landing on a nearby bush. Following the fire ball is a wave of water. Eva comes back into view.  
“Okay, two things; One- Patrick found Cole and gave him this... weird liquid. I don’t know exactly what it is. Two- If I can get Ajax to calm down that would help a lot. How’s Sandra?”  
I summarize the events very quickly, leaving out the part where I knocked out Dae without permission. She would probably scold me for doing something without permission.  
“AJAX! Joselyn is on!” Eva yells over something that sounds like a firecracker. Suddenly something explodes behind Eva, in a show of miraculous colors. After the smoke clears, Ajax is beside Eva and they are covered in soot. Ajax’s shirt is damp-from tears or water, I have no clue.  
“So? What’s the verdict?”  
“Sandra will live, but she is passed out right now. Tell you what, when we come back, you can look after her, okay?” I tell him. He relaxes visibly, looks at Dae, and bites his lip.  
“Can I use stuff from your house?” He asks hopefully. Dae nods.  
“You can set up the guest room for her. But don’t make a mess”  
Ajax runs off and Aelix replaces him.  
“DAE! Ohmigosh! I was so worried. I... I sensed that you were experiencing fear and I just... What happened?”  
“I had to get a blood test done. I'm fine." Her voice goes from her normal to a squeak.  
Whew, she didn’t mention the pill we tricked her into taking! I think. Aelix stares at Dae with an incredulous expression.  
“And... You didn’t faint?” He asks.  
“Not exactly” The girl drawls out each sound.  
“Guys watch out!” Ammon’s voice yells. Aelix and Eva move away from view just in time; a gigantic fireball hurtles towards the screen and connection is lost.  
We sit and stare at the TV until arms wrap around Dae and pick her up.  
“Greg let me go!” Dae yells. She is so small that her struggling isn’t helping- Pollux is too strong even in his drunken stupor.  
“Its okay little sister. Who the hell is Greg?” Pollux pulls Dae in for a hug. I bite my lip.  
“Greg Allchoo is one of your mentally unstable younger brothers. He tormented Dae to no end and calls her ‘little sister’ in a creepy voice” I explain.  
“Greg Allchoo isn’t mentally insane! He is a leader! Everyone loves him and wants to be around him!” Pollux tries to persuade us.  
“Actually, I do remember when he was like that- I was very young, but I remember... He’s not like that now. He got abducted for ten months, and hasn’t been the same ever since. He literally went insane”  
Pollux shrugs.  
"Seems legit. It was bound to happen," He sighs "Well, that's the Fate of every Dionysus kid" Pollux still hasn’t put Dae down, and she stops squirming.  
“What Fate?”  
“Every Dionysus kid either descends into madness, have an alcohol addiction, be a party addict, or a mixture of any of them.”  
“So I’m guessing that you have the alcohol problem” I state. He looks at me as if I’m a leopard with 7 eyes, 6 tails, 2 heads, and wearing a clown costume.  
“What the Hades are you talking about? I’m not an alcoholic!” He exclaims while letting Dae go. “Sister, darling, be a good sibling and refill this” Pollux gives her a puppy dog face but she shakes her head.  
“No, that was only to prove to you about my parentage.” She crosses her arms. “And I am no one’s servant!”  
Dae falls to the ground in pain, her left hand gripping her right arm where the marks are. She screams as if someone is murdering her. I rush to her side. The whole living room shakes.  
You are wrong Diana, you are MY servant! A voice booms.  
The shaking stops, Dae stops screaming, and she gets up calmly.  
“What the hell was that?!” I bellow.  
Dae has a grim look to her face. Does she know whose voice that was? Is there something she is hiding from us? Why would she keep secrets from our group? We are like family now. Yes, I have only known her for like two weeks, but so much has happened that it feels like I’ve known her for years.  
“Dae, do you know something I don’t?” I accuse. She sighs and nods her head.  
“The voice,” she says while examining the marks on her hand “belongs to Aaron Warell”  
“That basturd!” I swear if I ever meet the bitch, that shit will happen ending in his death!  
A familiar voice breaks me out of my mental rage. It is weak, but still audible.  
“Joselyn? Dae?” Sandra hoarsely whispers. I turn around to see my friend. Dae whimpers, and for good reason. Sandra has a bloody bandage on her arms and one on her leg, she is paler than before, Will and Jake are helping her walk.  
“Here’s my little trooper!” Will beams. Sandra faintly smiles. Dae and I both hug her gently being careful not to hurt her.  
“Thanks” She coughs out. Dae grabs a bottle of water from the kitchen and offers it to Sandra. She takes it willingly, downs all of it, and smiles at Dae.  
“Do you have any ambrosia? I need my arms for shooting my bow and arrow!”  
We laugh at her eagerness to get back to combat.  
Part Two- The Portal  
Once back at the Envis household, Ajax gives a gentle bear hug to Sandra and carries her to the prepared room upstairs. Aelix is by Dae’s side in a flash. He quickly examines her by poking different spots which soon turn into tickling. I march past the lovebirds, interested in where my Mexican is. Eva catches up to me when I get to the kitchen. The clock on the wall read 4:15pm.  
“You were gone for seven hours!” She exclaims. “How’s Sandra?”  
"Sandra is alive." I try to keep my face emotionless, but it's hard. I soon find myself crying into Eva’s shoulder.  
“Sandra is ALIVE; that’s excellent! You don’t need to worry anymore” She soothes. I wipe my eyes.  
“I was terrified Eva!” I whisper.  
“I know... so were we”  
Ammon approaches us with a tissue box... and half of him missing.  
“Ammon... What the hell?” I ask, my eyes going from the tissue box to his missing legs.  
“I found him!” Eva smiles “Turns out, Ammon can turn invisible! His power came to him this morning and he couldn’t control it...”  
I laugh. Speaking of couldn’t control...  
“What happened to Cole?”  
“He used up all of his energy in the fighting and passed out. We transported him to Dae’s mom’s room. After a quick exam, we concluded that the weird liquid wore off.”  
"Aelix put me down!" We hear Dae giggle, then see Aelix run with her over his shoulder.  
“NEVER!” he bellows while running up the stairs. We laugh at their childishness.

Dae’s POV  
"Aelix stop my stomach hurts!" I manage to get out between giggles. Apparently, Aelix knows all of my sweet spots. He has me on my back so that he has access to more tickle spots. I raise my feet to lift him off of me, pressing my feet to his abdomen, which causes him to fall off of the bed. When he doesn’t get up, I peer over the edge to find him lying on the ground, laughing. Aelix jumps at me, forcing me to go back and I role onto my stomach. He pins me down playfully so that I can’t move; he straddles my waist and I can practically feel the smirk on his face. He runs his fingers along the outside of my body, as if drawing my shadow with chalk. I tense at his touch, which is still so foreign to me. He traces a weird picture on the back of my neck, causing the hairs to rise. Suddenly, he gets off of me. I flip and as soon as I face him, Aelix pounces on top of me, grabbing my right arm and holding it out. I back up against the wall, and he follows with intensity in his navy eyes.  
“Ael, what are you doing?” I chuckle nervously. He starts tracing his finger along each circle resulting in the skin to tingle.  
“Do you know anything about these marks?” Aelix’s tone is serious.  
“No, I have never seen them before I came to CHB and got my daggers.” I reply honestly. “Why?”  
He repositions himself and I let him reposition me so that he is sitting with his legs crossed, I in the hole of his legs. I lean back to feel a tear drop land on my nose.  
“Diona, these are marks of a curse” He says, straining his voice in an attempt to hide the fact that he is crying.  
Curse? Is it like the Fate of all children of Dionysus? Does all of this have something to do with Ryan, Aaron, and Patrick?  
“How do you know?” I astonishingly whisper.  
“I’ve been studying them for a part of my Inner Self training. The marks of a curse on demigods have different aspects. The first one is that it tingles or hurts when someone touches it” He explains then pokes the top circle. It indeed hurts. “The second is that there is usually a key to how to get rid of it but only the bestower of the curse knows how to rid of it- unless they tell someone” Aelix holds up the notes that Ryan left. “Third is that there is usually an object connected to the mark.” He unsheathes one of my daggers, the fancier dagger. Aelix aligns it with my arm.  
“The gems on the dagger match your marks.” He sorrowly informs me.  
Was this why I was so drawn to the dagger?  
I look Aelix in the eyes and see that he is crying.  
“Does anyone else know?” I whisper.  
“I think Joselyn does, but that’s it.” His voice cracks and soon he is crying into my shoulder.  
“It’s okay,” I sooth “with every curse, there is a way to break it. Right?”  
When he doesn’t respond, I hold his face in my hands and make him look at me.  
“RIGHT?!” I say more forcefully.  
“It usually involves pain, months of tracking, a quest, and in most cases death” He whispers.  
“Let’s just focus on the task at hand- saving my father. Maybe he has some information?” I try to sound upbeat, but I know that he doesn’t buy it.  
“How about I make supper?” I whisper while giving him a hug. This peaks his interest.  
“What’s for supper?” He questions, cocking an eyebrow whilst giving me a sideways glance. I run to the door, swing it open, and then turn to look at him.  
“That depends” I say before bolting out of my bedroom. Right before I reach the turn on the stairs, something whizzes past me and sticks in the wall. I try to go down, but I find an arrow in my pajamas. The pajamas are satin so they don`t rip when I try to free myself. Another arrow embeds itself in the sleeve. At the top of the stairs is Aelix with his bow and arrows. He saunters down the stairs with a triumphant expression and retrieves his arrows. I don`t move.  
"What's for supper?" He asks again. I bite my lip. He leans in closer to my face.  
“Aww!” Joselyn, Eva, Cole, and Sandra squeal. Sandra and Ajax are at the top of the stairs, Sandra using Ajax for support. Eva, Joselyn, and Cole are smiling as if they know something I don’t.  
“Guys!” I exclaim.  
“What? We are hungry!” Cole calls. He is chewing on a popsicle that stains his teeth red.  
“Says the guy eating a popsicle!” I call back. He smiles innocently with the popsicle stick sticking out of our mouth.  
I move past everyone and into the kitchen. They soon all follow.  
“Sandra? Are you alright to have food?” I ask before grabbing my apron from the hook that Ajax put it on earlier (Good boy Ajax!) and start thinking of food for everyone. There’s popsicles... Unless Cole already scoffed them all down.  
“Soft food... I can have soft food” Sandra confirms.  
“Pancakes it is!” Cole announces proudly.  
“Fine,” I cave “Pancakes it is. But you guys can’t wear my clothes forever, so someone has to wash.” I call down the hall amidst taking out the ingredients for chocolate chip pancakes. The boys all head upstairs, Joselyn and Eva follow, (Probably to make sure that the boys do it correctly), leaving Sandra with me. I start putting the mix into a big bowl.  
“Dae, can I tell you a secret?” Sandra whispers. I turn around to see that she is sitting in a chair. I grab a whisk, the bowl, and start to mix up the batter.  
“Yeah, definitely” I tell her. She looks around to make sure no one else is around. She then looks me in the eyes.  
“Something is wrong with Ajax”  
“What do mean by wrong?” I ask. She sighs.  
“When we were upstairs, he kept on flipping personalities. At first he was all calm and sweet- taking care of me and being gentle- but then he started being not himself.”  
I stop whisking and go back to the counter. Sandra brings her chair over so she can talk as I put the batter on the frying pan.  
“Dae, promise you won’t tell Joselyn this or anyone else. Also promise not to hurt Ajax because he can’t control when he flips” She forcefully grabs me by the arm, and turns me to face her.  
“Dae he HIT me”  
Suddenly my throat goes dry, my eyes start to sting with tears, and all the heat has left my body.  
“Who hit you?” Joselyn asks through gritted teeth. I quickly go back to the pancakes. Joselyn is by my side in a split second.  
“Who hit her?!” She demands.  
“Patrick” I blurt out, the lie forming in my head as I place 3 pancakes on top of a plate. “He hit her while he poisoned her. Sandra was just telling me about that” I reply slackly. Joselyn shoots me a skeptical look.  
“And you didn’t freak out, being scared of needles and seeing people in pain?” She interrogates.  
“Nope, I only freak out when I see it- not hear about it.” This one wasn’t a lie. Joselyn accepts this as truth and utters some not nice things about what she would do to Patrick.

After ten minutes of silence amongst us, I finally get enough pancakes made for everybody to have 3 if they want to. I set the table with chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, and berry sauce, syrup, along with various amount of fruit. The boys come stampeding down the stairs but I have my back turned. When I do turn around, I almost wet myself.  
Ajax’s outfit is too small for him. The polo shirt is ripping at the seams, the pants look too tight to be comfortable, and he walks stiffly. Cole didn’t bother buttoning up Patrick’s blouse, showing off his six pack. He is wearing swim shorts and Pat’s Darth Vader slippers. Ammon has an angry bird top hat has been cut to make a muscle shirt along with some basketball shorts. None of them compare to Aelix; he thought that Patrick’s clothes are too mainstream so he decided to wear some of MY clothes. He has my purple skinny jeans on (no clue how he even got into them) and my orange ‘don’t stop the party’ shirt. The shirt looks really tight on him and I can see his six pack. My eyes linger for a few seconds on that last detail before looking him in the eyes.  
“Phillips, what the Hades are you wearing?” Ajax chuckles.  
Aelix strikes a pose and flips his hair dramatically. We all laugh furiously.  
“Thought you people could use a good laugh” He tells us while striking another pose.  
“Work it Aelix, work it!” I call sending the group into even more laughter.  
In a few minutes the laughter dies down allowing everyone to calm down and eat. I sit in between Aelix and Cole.  
“Dae, Estas son las mejores tortitas que he tenido!” Cole exclaims with a mouth full, some caramel dripping down his face.  
“Huh?” I ask, “I don’t speak Spanish”  
Cole grabs two more pancakes and piles sauces with a mix of berries on top. Joselyn, who is on the other side of Cole, laughs.  
“He said he likes them” She translates. I smile.  
“Glad to hear you like them!” I say before gulping down my last bite. I get up, take Eva, Sandra, Ammon, Aelix, Joselyn, and mine’s plates out to the kitchen, and plop them into the dishwasher. I go back to collect the rest of the dishes. When I get to Ajax, he stands up and follows me into the kitchen. I place the dishes in with the others. Suddenly I feel arms around my arms and torso.  
“I’m sorry for acting like such a dick. I can’t tell you why I acted the way I did, but if you can forgive me, I’d like to start clean.” He lets go but spins me to face him before he reaches out his hand.  
“Hi, I’m Ajax Victor” I shake his hand robotically, not being able to comprehend what is going on “Son of Nike, and Head of my cabin.”  
“Dae, Daughter of Dionysus” I say, toneless.  
A scream is heard from the living room. Ajax and I rush back to the group with our weapons drawn. In the living room, the group is huddled around a shiny blue vortex in the wall.  
“What is that?” I ask in wonder. Everyone turns to face me, apparently not hearing me enter.  
“It’s a portal” Eva informs me.  
“Do you know where it leads?” I ask while approaching it. She shrugs.  
“Before it formed, a picture of, who I am guessing is, Dionysus appeared. I believe it will lead us to where he is being held.” She tells me. I look at everyone, who are all looking at me for instructions. It is MY father so I decide what the actions are.  
“Okay; everyone go get your actual clothes on. I believe that they are clean by now. After that, report back here. I will go through first and then you will all follow. Got it?”


	17. Big Battle

Chapter 17- Big Battle

Dae’s POV

"Okay everyone here?" I call out. Eva, Ammon, Sandra, Ajax and Joselyn are all here. Where are Cole and Aelix?  
"Cole is helping Aelix," Josie informs me, trying not to laugh.  
"Helping him how?" I slowly ask. This causes Josie, Ammon, and Ajax to go into a laughing fit.  
"Aelix got stuck in your pants!" Ajax manages to tell me. I blush but chuckle.  
"Dae?" I hear Cole call from the bathroom. "Do I have permission to burn off your jeans?"  
I am immediately alarmed.  
"Won't that burn Aelix?" I call. I rush into the bathroom.  
"Nope. You wanna watch?" Cole calls but then realizes that I am right at the door. Aelix is sitting on the bathtub's edge. When he sees me he turns beet red.  
"Sure- anything I can do?"  
"You can hold his hand for apoyo emocional," Cole suggests. He then realizes that he spoke Spanish. Cole takes out his phone, types in something, then corrects himself "Sorry, I mean emotional support"  
Aelix grabs my hand and pulls me close to him.  
"Dae, this may be the wrong time to ask, but will you be my girlfriend?" He says so quickly that I almost miss it.  
"It took you long enough, but yes," I chuckle before sealing the deal with a kiss.  
"Smooth, bro," Cole mutters. Aelix hisses in pain and surprise. Soon, my jeans are ash, revealing Aelix's legs and certain Cheshire cat boxers. His legs are red. Aelix puts his legs into the bath and sighs in relief.  
"How did you keep him from burning?" I ask Cole.  
"I controlled the flames, telling them what to burn and what not to burn," Cole explains. He passes Aelix some clean clothes. After Aelix changes, we join the others at the portal. I take a deep breath  
There’s no going back, I think, and with my hand in Aelix’s, I step through the portal.

The portal leads to the top of a mountain. At the top is a huge castle that floats in the clouds (it has a ladder going up to a platform in front of the door). It looks like those medieval castles I learnt about in Social Studies class. The door has two boar heads mounted onto it that move as if they are alive. In between them is an old fashion knocking device. Automatically, I approach the doors and knock with it. The boars turn to look at me.  
"Four demigods await the door to see what a god has in store," they robotically say. I return to the group. There are eight of us so four of us have to stay.  
"I am going because I am the quest leader," Joselyn states, "and Eva and Sandra are coming because they are my quest companions."  
Ajax and Ammon both look at each other.  
"I'm going," I declare. Aelix instantly objects.  
"No, you're not as trained as some of us," he says, as he grabs my arm. I wiggle out of his grasp.  
"It's MY father, I'M going," I declare with a bit of sass. Aelix winces.  
"Can we have some time alone then?" he begs. I look at everyone; Joselyn is already dragging Cole over to a nearby cave. I sigh.  
"Meet me back here in ten minutes, okay?" I call to the others as Aelix drags me away. I see Ammon take Eva's hand and pull a confused and baffled Daughter of Poseidon away from Sandra and Ajax. Aelix suddenly tackles me to the ground. I land in a pile of snow. He starts kissing me like crazy, exploring my mouth. I match his passion. We start rolling around, throwing snow balls at each other, and I am soaked in a matter of minutes. It takes me awhile to realize that Aelix is crying. I stop laughing.  
"Why are you crying?" I gently ask. Aelix holds me in a tight embrace.  
"I don't want to lose you Dae," he sobs.  
"You won't, I promise," I say before resuming to kiss him. But I'm not sure if I can keep that promise.

Eva’s POV  
"Ammon where are we going?" I ask. This is unusual for Ammon; he usually just blushes when we hold hands or when we talk. Out of nowhere, he turns around causing me to crash into him from the force of the pace we were going. He removes my long bangs from my face tenderly and looks deeply in my eyes. Our breaths are visible due to the cold.  
"Eva, I don't know if you will be coming out of there alive, so I wanted to tell you something in case that happens," Ammon grabs me by the waist, and I see a tear running down his face; Ammon never cries! "I love you Eva and I will until the day I die, and maybe even after that."  
Tears start swelling up in my eyes. He cups my face and goes in for a kiss. It starts off light, but soon Ammon is speeding up, adding in passion, and we eventually end up falling down into the snow. I return his actions by matching him. That is until we part. Ammon rolls off of me and we just lay there, holding each other.

Kacey’s POV  
"Kacey?" Nico stands in the doorway of my office. "May I come in? I have something very urgent to tell you."  
"Come in," I call. Nico stalks into the room, frantically sits down, and then places his phone on my desk.  
"Thalia hasn't texted me back. I think she is in trouble," he rushes his words and I am JUST able to hear them.  
"Thalia is missing? Zeus must be pissed!"  
I must have said something wrong because Nico starts crying.  
"Sandra is gone, my sisters are gone, and now my wife!" He sobs into his legs. I smile sympathetically.  
"How about you go find Percy, Leo or Will- help you get your mind off things while I try to figure out the problem," I suggest calmly, though I feel like screaming until I lose my voice. Nico attempts to call Percy, but he doesn't pick up. Instead, Annabeth's voice comes through the phone.  
"Hello?" She sounds as if she has been crying.  
"Where is Percy?" Nico asks quietly, almost mouse-like.  
"He is missing; Last night we got into bed together and when I woke up in the morning he was gone. All that was there was a note," she sighs.  
"WHAT DID THE NOTE SAY?!" I demand a bit too harshly.  
"Gold for the essence; blue for the god that bred you; gold for the ichor; red for the blood that binds you," she recites.  
That is similar to Dae's mark... Except hers has gold, green, gold, red.  
"Thanks Annabeth, we will send out a search party for him and the others," I say before quickly hanging up the mortal device.

Dae’s POV  
Everyone is back to our meeting spot; in front of the ladder. Cole and Joselyn are the only ones who look like they haven't had an emotional goodbye. Cole is shivering but he brought it on himself; he apparently gave Joselyn his shirt and is now standing out here in the cold shirtless. Aelix offers him his sweater, but Cole denies that he is freezing claiming that 'a son of Hephaestus knows no cold.' Sandra came back looking like she has seen a ghost with Ajax looking at her with a 'you better hold up your end of the deal' type look.  
Joselyn takes off her belt, which automatically turns into a whip. Eva pulls out her gum pack, takes out two pieces which turn into a sword and shield. Cole offers Sandra his spear to use so she can do close-range combat. I am obviously going to use my daggers, but Aelix wants me to use a sword. I hate swords; they just don't balance right in my hand.  
"You girls stick together, okay? Don't get lost in there," Aelix orders. The boys give us a quick peck on the cheek before watching us climb the ladder. I get up last, and once near the top, turn to face Aelix to mouth 'I love you' before quickly turning away. Holding Sandra and Eva's hands, we all enter through the boar doors.  
The castle isn't what I expected. As soon as we enter, we have to climb a few flights of stairs. It smells like rotten, dried up blood, and I feel like we are being watched. Each few steps closer to the top cause my mark to feel like lead and sting. By the top of the stairs, I feel as if I am carrying the mountain in my arm, and it feels like Greek fire has been placed on it. Hot tears are streaming down my face and I am biting my lip; I don't scream for that would give the group's location away. The group stops.  
"Dae, are you okay?" Sandra asks. I smile tightly.  
"I'm fine," I mutter.  
"Dae, I know your arm is hurting like-" Sandra starts.  
"A bitch?" Joselyn suggests. Sandra continues.  
"Do you want some ambrosia or nectar? A numbing agent?"  
I shake my head 'no'.  
"I'm fine," I repeat, and try to hide the fact that I'm sweating from the pain.  
Joselyn crosses her arms, raises an eyebrow, and sticks her hip out.  
"Oh, are you now?" skeptically she says. I grin and bear it.  
"Yes," I try to sound as firm as I can. Joselyn, Sandra, and Eva all glance at each other then back to me.  
"Just tell us if it gets too unbearable," Eva advises before we trudge on.

We climb 2 more flights of stairs to finally get to a big Bowser's Castle-like door. I turn the handle to find it unlocked. Looking back at the group, I take a deep breath.  
"Ready?" I ask.  
"As we'll ever be," Eva sighs.  
When I open the door, we are met by darkness. I go in first with my friends right behind me. Suddenly I get tripped, a hand clamps over my mouth, and hands grab my arms before I hit the ground. The more I squirm the tighter my pursuer grips me. I get dragged for a few minutes until I am thrown by my captor into something I can't see. As soon as my hands are free, I reach down to my leg sheathes to find only one dagger missing. How odd.  
"Whoever you are, let my friends go and take me, only me!" I yell into the black.  
"Welcome, daughter of Dionysus," A voice booms; I jump, for it startles me. I would know that voice anywhere...  
"Ryan? What the hell?" I call out. I get into a standing position and try to use my ears to locate him. He laughs from somewhere.  
"Do you want to see? I think you will quite like the outcome," but he doesn't give me a chance to respond. The lights come on, a bright light that I have to take a few seconds to adjust. When I get my vision sorted out, I find a group of approximately 100 demigods surrounding me. The first thing I notice is that my arm isn't hurting. Second is that they all have similar marks to me somewhere on their bodies. Two buff guys reach out to grab me; I find myself frozen on the spot. My mind blanks out of every defensive move I can do.  
"Would you like to see our other guests of honor?" Ryan asks rhetorically (I still haven't figured out where he is). The crowd parts to reveal Percy and another girl with raven black hair passed out. No harm seems to have come to them. I get mad at this. Looking around I can see that for the most part, the demigods' eyes are red and they are stone-faced. This is when it hits me; they are all possessed.  
"Drop her, boys," Ryan commands. His voice seems to be coming from above, but I don't see him. They drop me, literally, and someone steps out of the crowd in front of me. They are holding a sword, ready to fight.  
"Ryan, you coward! Come down here and fight me like a REAL man!" I yell. Ryan emerges from the crowd.  
"But you're a girl! I would beat you to a pulp!" he says with a sweet venomous texture to his voice that makes me shudder.  
"Really, because I recall that last time we fought, I got you put into a mortal mental institute for psychotic behavior. And I knocked you out." He doesn't look moved to do anything. Perhaps I should take a different approach. "Then again, I am so weak from our journey, and you are SO strong now," I entice him. Ryan starts thinking. "If you are really as awesome as you say you are, prove it. Besides, since I'm just a girl it should be a piece of cake."  
Ryan gives me a look of disbelief.  
"You actually want to fight me?" Ryan asks, astonished but partly skeptical.  
"Do I have any other choice? I am clearly surrounded," I point out.  
"You know what? I think I will leave you for the boss," he slowly drawls out each word.  
A bag gets placed over my head, a rope ties around my ankles and my hands get cuffed in a matter of five seconds. Someone- I'm guessing Ryan- picks me up over their shoulder. After about five minutes of struggling, Ryan cursing at me to stop, and walking, I am finally put down on a hard surface.  
"Stay back!" Ryan orders. I hear some murmurs followed by a door opening. My hands get uncuffed but Ryan leaves on the bag and rope.  
"Dae!" Three voices cry out. I take off the bag to reveal Joselyn, Sandra, and Eva all chained to the wall and/or floor. In the corner is a crippled up old man with a head of grey hair. He appears to be sleeping and has some glowing handcuffs on.  
"Hi guys," I casually say back. I look at the man oddly, causing Josie to giggle. Only Josie has the audacity to giggle in a cell.  
"Dae, this is Dionysus," Joselyn introduces.  
"He usually doesn't act or looks like this. It is because of the handcuffs," Eva remarks.  
Looking around I see that everybody still has their weapons. Odd.  
In about two hours, Ryan comes back and peers through the cell bars. Since I am the only not chained one in the room, I have been trying for the past hours to set my friends free. I have tried pretty much everything in trying to set them free. I immediately run up to the door, weapon drawn, to confront Ryan. This is when I gasp in shock. Patrick laughs evilly before pressing his fingers to my forehead. I feel a heat radiate between us and soon my legs feel as if they are made out of jelly.  
"Miss me?" He deviously mocks. Ryan pulls out some keys to unlock the door.  
"Diana and Eva- follow Patrick. Joselyn and Sandra- follow me," Ryan demands. Without anyone doing anything, my friends' chains are off and they fall to the ground. We don't move.  
"If you don't come willingly, we will force you to," Patrick adds. We all follow our designated escorts in silence. In a big room is where our destination is. Patrick puts each of us in the center of demigod circles. There are two balconies; one on the far left side of the rectangular room, the other adjacent to it. There are seats on the one on the left- the one farthest from me. Looking around, I observe that all of the demigods have red eyes and a solemn facial expression. They all have similar marks to me.  
"Percy? What are you doing here?!" Eva cries. I don't hear Percy answer.  
"Thalia," Sandra gasps "Cosa stai facendo qui?" I don't hear her respond either.  
"SILENCE!" yells a man up on the balcony. We gasp.  
"Aaron Warell?!" I exclaim loudly.  
"Lord Ares?" Eva, Sandra, and Joselyn all exclaim.  
Lord Ares? That’s Aaron...  
"What are you doing here?" Joselyn calls angrily. She is the closest to the balcony of chairs.  
"I am offering Dae a place in my demigod army to go against the gods," He simply replies. He makes eye contact with me.  
"So, Dae, will you join my army?" Aaron asks. I stand gawking at him.  
"Aw hell no!" Joselyn yells. Someone attacks her but she judo flips them before taking their own weapon, a sword, and killing them.  
"What she said," I call up. Patrick mouths something.  
"Hello Envis," a voice says from behind me. I whip around.  
"Ajax, what the Hades?"  
"That's right Dae," He starts circling me- like that first day of Strength class- and has a predatorily glare. One of his hands is on the hilt of his sword; the other is in his jean pocket. "I am a part of this war. In fact, once Master Ares is done with you, I think that I shall do the honor in killing you!" His eyes are red instead of his usual hazel-green.  
"Ajax, are you okay?" I ask. Normal people would be scared of the threat he gave me but it only makes me sad. I look up at the balcony and see Patrick mouth the word 'fine'.  
"I'm fine, just fine. Never better," Ajax replies tightly. His face screws up in pain and for a second I think I see his eyes change back to hazel-green, but it soon goes back to red. Then it clicks. When Sandra said that he was acting different; his mood swings; Ajax Victor is possessed by Patrick! But how?  
"Let me explain so that you might, perhaps, see the ingenious plan that we have created. And see that you cannot defeat us," Patrick says while floating down from the balcony. He snaps his fingers and Ajax passes out cold.  
"Sections one, two, and three-ATTACK!" Ryan yells from the balcony.  
"In nome de Apollo!" I hear Sandra cry.  
"En el nombre de Hades!" yells Joselyn.  
"Nimissä Poseidon!" yells Evaline.  
None of my group attacks. "Before you were born, this little brat named Percy Jackson beat Ares up pretty bad. Lord Ares reputation amongst the gods and demigods was ruined, so he devised a plan to use demigods against the gods. Ares had to disguise himself as a doctor, camper, lawyer, centaur, and sometimes even the father in order to track down a bunch of demigods (varying in ages). There was one type of demigod he was missing though; a child of Dionysus. Lord Ares made a deal with Dionysus that if he gave him two of his children, Ares would persuade Zeus to let him drink at Camp. But after the two children were stolen, he realized that he could do experiments. He put some of his own blood in the elder child in hopes of making him a super soldier. Then in the other child, he stole some of Dionysus' ichor and injected it into the second child, you, creating a demigod with extra abilities and powers. He released you back to your family after that. A few years later, he began to see some errors; the demigods were zoning in and out of his control. I offered up my services, being a friend of Ryan (Ares son), and found a binding spell. The only catch was, it needs someone to be an anchor. The closest and easiest child to be the anchor was you. So Lord Ares seduced your aunt-presenting himself as Aaron Warell- whom you were living with, and while she was working he took you into the basement and performed the spell. It took a while, but he finally got it right." Patrick explains over the sounds of battle.  
"Who was the first child?" I ask, though I have a hunch.  
"The first child actually didn't take the injections too well. Ares also made a mistake as to who he took. He took one of the more looked up to and loved campers. After ten months, his body was used to Ares' essence in him and Ares sent Ryan to camp with Greg. Ryan faked finding him. During the ten months, Greg swore on the River Styx that he wouldn't tell anyone of Master Ares plan."  
"That's why he has mood swings!" I exclaim.  
"A minor setback," Patrick nonchalantly sighs. I point my dagger at him.  
"MINOR setback?! He tortures people for fun!" I angrily spit at him.  
"Ryan? Tell group four to activate," Patrick calls up to the son of Ares. Patrick snaps his fingers before disappearing.  
"In case *cough* you were wondering *cough cough* Patrick is a child of *cough cough cough* Hecate," Ajax whispers loudly enough for me to hear him, although he struggles to breathe. I rush to his side and kneel down.  
"Ryan... was the one who-" he starts coughing vigorously," attacked me at the gas station. What *cough* Cole thought was a knife *phlegm cough* was actually a needle. I got claimed and had no choice to join the army. Ryan got Patrick to possess me then swear on the Styx not to tell the group," he starts wheezing.  
Suddenly I realize something.  
"He made you swear on the Styx not to tell, but you just told me! Doesn't that mean you die?" Tears start swelling in my eyes and I have to swallow a sob. He chuckles, but that only sends him into another coughing fit.  
"No," he rasps when the coughing is light, "he didn't see the loophole. He made me swear not to tell the group. You are not the group, are you?" He smirks despite his pain. I hug him; he hugs back, but soon his body gets tense.  
"Dae, step away!" Ajax growls. I pull away.  
"Why?"  
His eyes start swirling colors- red and hazely green.  
"Step... AWAY... They will... get me to do... much worse... than a simple... kill," Ajax bellows. I turn and run, but only finding myself running into a demigod.  
Oh yeah, I’m surrounded  
Ares/Aaron stands up in his seat.  
"Thalia, Percy, Ajax- Get Diana!" he commands.  
In the blink of an eye, Ajax has me pinned to the ground on my stomach with my hands behind my back, my hair all in my face. He forces my head up by yanking on my hair. I see Thalia land; she gets right up in my face.  
"Hello, daughter of Dionysus," she sneers with her mouth but is screaming help with her eyes. Then I see it: four dots on her right ear that look like piercings. Medium gold, a grey cloud, medium gold, and small red. Suddenly a buzzing sound erupts from all around. An electric cage has been placed around us. Ajax is off of me and in a split second, I throw my dagger at the cage. It comes flying back to me hilt first, hitting me on the arm. A small bruise forms but I don't care. I pick up my dagger, surprised at the lack of electrifying I receive from the electrified metal.  
I examine the dagger. The light from the cage reflects off of the four gems on the hilt; medium gold, large green, medium gold, small red. As if someone turned on a switch in my brain, it starts to make sense; gold for the essence, green for the god who hides you, gold for the ichor, and red for the blood that binds you. Everyone in the army got an essence of the curse; gold for the essence. Green is the color of vines and some types of grapes. Who is the god of grapes? My Father! He hid me for most of my life from the world of Half-Bloods- Green for the god that hides you. When I was younger, I got some of my dad's ichor injected into me- gold for the ichor. All of the army is bound by some sort of binding spell that probably had to do with blood- red for the blood that binds you. Earlier Patrick said that I was the anchor and without me, everyone in the army was slipping out of their control. So that's why they want me so bad; they want to make sure I don't die or set the army free and for my extra abilities/powers.  
Suddenly the cage is lifted. Ajax grabs my wrists to wrap rope around them.  
"The boss wants to see you," he states. The boss must be Ares. "He wants you to reconsider his offer. He values you."  
I struggle against the ropes.  
"Why am I so important?" I whine, even though I have already figured it out.  
"You don't know? The prophecy was about you!"  
A loved one shall lie to forever rest... Oh shit, that’s me! But how?  
The crowd parts so that I can see my friends. Eva has a gash on her left arm, her shorts are ripped, and she is currently holding off six Ares army warriors. Sandra is surprisingly good with a spear. She has a guy stuck to the end of it and swings him at whoever attacks- the guy stuck is just holding on to life. Sandra's only appearance change is that she has sweat dripping down her face, back, and chest, along with the fact her hair is out of its elastic. Joselyn has multiple passed out bodies around her. She has a fierce ambition in her eyes that inspires me to not be controlled and to focus on the current task at hand: how to take out the army. My father is currently dying and what am I doing? Letting myself be controlled.  
I feel my dagger still in my hand and in one fluid motion I cut the ropes, back-hand Ajax, and run. Multiple people try to stop me, but I fight off a few before creating a vine to coming down to get me. I swing on it Tarzan style up to the empty balcony, my dagger being held by my mouth. Once at the top, I make the vine disappear.  
Step two. I look down at the marks on my arm. They are the exact same pattern as the gems on my dagger, meaning they are connected. Thinking back to Aelix's words at my house, I come to a realization.  
Only a cursed dagger shall end this quest.  
The curse Aelix was talking about has to do with the connection between the dagger and my arm. The similar marks to what everyone else in the army has.  
Gold for the essence, green for the god that hides you, gold for the ichor, and red for the blood that binds you. That’s it!  
I know what I must do.  
I stride over confidently to the edge of the balcony, hold my arm and dagger out over the railing, and take a deep breath. I should probably message my dad.  
Hey Dad, I pray, I would like to say a few things. First- I love you despite the little I know about you. Second- tell everybody that I’m sorry I have to do this. I don’t want to help them cause a war between the gods and demigods. Lastly, tell Aelix that I love him, but to move on and live his life. Not to be depressed and single for the rest of his life. I love you dad.  
A scream erupts from the dungeon, causing Pat and Ryan to go check it out; they apparently haven't noticed that I'm up here. I take another deep breath, place the tip of the dagger so that it just brushes my first circle, and let a tear roll down my face.  
"Hey ARES!" I yell as loud as I can. Everyone not doing anything looks at me; Ares goes from relaxed to alarm.  
"Gold for the essence," I yell before plunging the dagger deep into the first circle. The army all screams in agony and drops to the floor. I can hear my friends frantically screaming at me but I can't hear them over the buzz in my ears. Eva rushes over to her brother. She looks from him to me, the connection dawns on her and she starts to cry.  
"Green for the god who hides you," I yell before pulling out the dagger, then jabbing it into the green circle. The memories come back to me, hitting me like a brick wall; my fear of injections rooting at when Ares did the binding spell. I see not my mother Mrs. Envis, but myself being ripped away from a familiar woman with two boys by her. One is crying into her pant leg while the other-just a baby- cries in her arms. I see Aelix and I kissing, us sleeping in my bed, Greg and I lying in our cabin, the sleepover at my house during the quest. Me cooking dinner, everyone eating, laughing, and having a good time. It all rushes through my head in a matter of flashbacks. I start to full on cry.  
"Gold for the ichor," I yell, my voice cracking a bit. I plunge the dagger into the third circle.  
"NOOOOO!" Ares bellows from the other side of the room.  
"RED FOR THE BLOOD THAT BINDS THEM!" I yell at the top of my lungs. I plunge the dagger into the last circle. For a moment there is pure silence- you could hear a pin drop- and then a big deep rumbling BOOM is heard. It shakes the ground so hard that I lose my bearings and fall over the balcony. I grab on with both hands, but my right one slips from the blood on it. After the quake, a blinding light emits out from my arm, engulfing the room. Just as if someone flicks off a switch, everything goes black.  
A loved one shall lie to forever rest  
Only a cursed dagger shall end this quest


	18. Battle Blues

Chapter18- Battle Blues

Evaline’s POV- Back a few minutes

Josie, Sandra, and I are surrounded. I hear some commotion going on near the balcony- which I am guessing is where Dae is located- and the army seems restless. Suddenly it parts, allowing me a good glimpse at my... brother?!  
"Percy? What are you doing here?!" I cry. He doesn't reply, just stands there with an SOS expression. From somewhere else, I hear Sandra gasp.  
"Thalia? Cosa stai facendo qui?"  
"Silence!" Ares yells from the balcony. We all gasp.  
Why is Ares here?  
"Lord Ares?" Josie, Sandra and I exclaim.  
"What are you doing here?" Joselyn calls angrily.  
"I am offering Dae a place in my demigod army to go against the gods," he simply replies. He looks at Dae.  
"So, Dae, will you join my army?" Ares asks.  
"Aw hell no!" Joselyn yells. Someone attacks her but she judo flips them before taking their own weapon, a sword, and killing them.  
"What she said," Dae calls up.  
The crowd around me reforms a circle so that my brother and I are in the circle with no way out. Percy approaches, gets out Riptide hastily, and points it at my jugular.  
"Hello sister," he tries to sound tough but is crying at the same time. I get my sword, Tsunami, and knock his sword away.  
"Percy, what are you doing here?!" I ask again, a bit more forceful. He smiles before swooping his sword at my legs. I jump so my calves don't get sliced. He swings to cut me in half but I block his attack. We step towards each other so that our noses are finger-length apart.  
"What doing it look like? I am the best swordsman of my generation! Why WOULDN'T I participate in a war? Those gods are going down!" This isn't my brother Percy Jackson. Percy smirks before pushing me away. I trip over his foot which I didn't see or feel him place there. I am quick to recover, but Percy is also quick. He tries to swipe at my face, but I block with my arm earning myself a huge scratch wound on my forearm. I kick him in the balls- something I'm not proud of- and he crumples down in pain. I stand up in time to hear:  
"Sections one, two, and three- ATTACK!" Ryan yells from the balcony.  
"In nome de Apollo!" I hear Sandra cry.  
"En el nombre de Hades!" yells Joselyn.  
"Nimissä Poseidon!" I yell before taking on six demigod soldiers. I decide only to knock them out because it seems that none of them asked for this.  
After five minutes of knocking people out and throwing them into a big pile, I hear Ares yell:  
"Thalia, Percy, Ajax- Get Diana!"  
Percy surprisingly become conscious and weaves through the crowd. I see Thalia ride a cloud over to where Dae must be located. Suddenly I feel my thigh start to sting. I look to see a vicious dog near me. It soon transforms into a demigod- this doesn't faze me.  
"Let me guess- child of Hecate?" I call over the clash of metal. Five more come forth and all attack. I am just able to knock all of them out.  
On the outside of the circle I see Dae booking it to the other side of the room. A vine comes down from the roof to which she grabs onto and swings up to the balcony. It looks SO COOL! I try to follow her, taking out people on the side area so I can get a better glimpse.  
Someone bumps into me from behind, knocking both of us to the ground.  
"Shit!" Ajax breaths from on top of me.  
"Ajax? What the Hades are you doing here?"  
He hurriedly gets off of me. His eyes turn from red to his normal green/hazel.  
"Ajax...?" I slowly say, a little confused and freaked out.  
"Long story but what's important is what Diana is about to do," he states. I turn to see her staring at her arm and her dagger.  
She wouldn’t...  
"What's she going to do?" I ask Ajax, trying to confirm what I think she is doing.  
"DUCK!" he commands. I quickly drop; in one fluid motion his sword is met by another. His opponent's soon ends up on Ajax's free hand. He slices the person into three.  
"GOLD FOR THE ESSENCE!" Dae yells from the balcony. As soon as her dagger touches her arm, all of the army screams in agony before dropping unconscious.  
"Dae don't do it!" I hear Josie and Sandra yell but to no ado. I start yelling but Dae acts like she doesn't hear us. In the corner of my eye, I see my brother. I run over to him and look for a mark.  
He has one, but the gold circle is gone! Does that mean that each time she stabs a circle with her dagger it will free them a bit more? What will happen to her? I can't help it, I start to cry.  
"GREEN FOR THE GOD WHO HIDES THEM!" she yells before jabbing it into the green dot. Tears start swelling in her eyes- I can't imagine the immense pain she must be in. Blood starts running down her arm, soaking her hand.  
"GOLD FOR THE ICHOR!" She yells, her voice cracking a bit. Dae plunges the dagger into the third circle.  
"NOOOOO!" Ares bellows from the other side of the room.  
"RED FOR THE BLOOD THAT BINDS THEM!" Dae yells at the top of her lungs. She plunges the dagger into the last circle. For a moment there is pure silence- you could hear a pin drop- and then a big deep rumbling BOOM is heard. It shakes the ground so hard that we all fall to the ground; Dae loses her bearings and falls over the balcony. She grabs on with both hands but her right one slips from the blood on it. Ajax is the first to get his bearings. He sprints over to the bottom of the balcony and yells something up to Dae. A blinding light emits from her right arm, a light so bright that I cover my eyes.

When I uncover them, I'm not in the same room. The room I am in is lined with gray cobblestones. It is dusty, has cobwebs, and I can smell the wretched odor of throw up. Three women stand before me. I recognize them immediately from my Greek God studies; they are the Fates.  
The one in the middle holds a pair of scissors. The others hold threads in their hands. The one on the left is already broken.  
"Is that Diana's?" I ask. They don't reply. Instead, the one in the middle cuts the second string, Dae's reforms.

"Eva? Please come on Eva! Wake up!" Percy sobs. I first feel hands around my arms and come to realize that I'm in Percy's arms, back at the fortress. I blink a few times before sitting up. I then give my brother a proper hug.  
"Thank the gods," he sobs, "I thought I had lost you!"  
When Percy pulls apart, I ask, "What happened while I was out?"  
From somewhere behind me, I hear sobs. Lots and lots of sobs.  
"Ares and Pat took off, Cole and Aelix caught Ryan sneaking out, and Dionysus got freed from his handcuffs," he fills me in.  
"Where are Joselyn , Sandra, and Dae?" I ask. Percy looks around wearily.  
"Two of them are mourning..."  
I turn around to see Aelix crying into Dionysus' shoulder and vice versa. Cole is holding Joselyn while she cries, same goes for Sandra with Ajax. Ajax has some blood on his shirt. I bolt over to Dae's lifeless body. Her right arm has a bloody bandage on it, a defibrillator's parts are in a pile near Sandra's feet, and a first aid kit is next to the defibrillator. Her head looks unharmed despite some dried up blood that runs down the side of her face.  
"Can someone tell me what happened?" I ask shakily. Dionysus pulls away from Aelix. Lucky for Aelix, Ammon just so happens to be sitting by him. Aelix collapses on Ammon to which Ammon awkwardly starts rubbing his back.  
"The curse was broken when Diana jabbed her dagger into each of the circles. The circles were the army's anchor but also her lifeline. With each stab she freed the army but also killed herself little by little," Dionysus sorely explains. "She is in good condition because Ajax caught her when she fell from the balcony," Dionysus pops up a wine bottle and chugs it down in a matter of seconds. I start to cry.  
Thalia comes over to our group.  
"Hey guys I just texted Kacey so she can inform the Dionysus cabin. A couple of the elder demigods and I shall return the army to their last locations," she informs us.

Kacey’s POV  
"Quiet down, quiet down," I sorely call through my bullhorn.  
"I am sorry to report that your sister Dae Envis has died on the quest. Counselling can be provided to those who seek it."  
As expected, some curse, some cry, others start yelling at me. One thing I don't expect is for Greg to leave in tears. I thought he would curse and stomp out dramatically, but he doesn't. I don't bother following him because I'm just too drained at the moment. I see out the window that he is going to his cabin.

Dae’s POV  
I'm confused. During my short time at CHB I learned that when you die, you meet the ferryman Charon and go to a choosing ceremony for your soul. Then you get sorted to either The Fields of Punishment, The fields of Asphodel, Elysium, or Tartarus; sort of like in Harry Potter how they get sorted into their houses.  
But of course I'm that special case, like I have been for most of my life,that is an exception to the rules.  
Right now I am surrounded by darkness. I can't see my own hands even if they were inches away from my face- that is assuming I still have hands. I also can't tell time. How has it been since i have been at the fortress? Days? Weeks? Years? Minutes?  
"Hello Diana, daughter of Dionysus,"a deep voice booms all around me like a surround sound movie.  
"Uh, hi," I call back. "Who's there?"  
"My name is Erebeus, God of Darkness," the voice-Erebeus- tells me.  
"Okay... I'm really confused," I admit. He laughs a deep, guttural laugh that I feel shuddering through me.  
"I know you are, which is why I am here. I am the god of the darkness between life and death. The Fates aren't done with you yet, which is why you are here," Erebeus informs me. "I am here to explain everything as well."  
"Go on."  
"The first thing you should know is that you are adopted. Your real name is Diana Agatha Summers, the Agatha coming from your grandmother Agatha Gillis. The Diana was your real mother's choice, naming you in honor of the queen from some time ago, and the Summers being the name Dionysus used. Mrs. Envis, the lady whom you thought was your mother, is actually your aunt. Your REAL mother is the woman that you thought was your aunt. The two boys you thought were your cousins are actually your brothers," he explains.  
"Why was I with my aunt?" I ask.  
"Your real mother was only nineteen when she had you. At age nineteen, she was still in university getting her doctorate in surgery. Shortly after your birth, Mrs. Envis found out that she wasn't able to bear children. Since Envis was older, ready for a child, and not able to bear one, Mrs. Summers gave you to her. But there was a catch. They agreed that at one point in your life, you would return to her. Exactly three months later, Dionysus came to her wanting to know where his little girl was. HE planned on taking you back to Camp Half Blood and having you be the youngest ever to come to camp. Your mother didn't know that he was a god. She told him that you died after birth and how it was his fault for abandoning her. Nine months later, her first son was born, your brother. She kept him because she had a babysitter and enough money. She later had another child with Dionysus without knowing it because Dionysus came to her in a rage, and as a different person."  
"Who are my brothers?" I ask desperately, "and what do you mean by 'the Fates aren't done with me yet'?"  
"In due time, Diana."  
There is silence for a bit-I don't know how long, the time being weird here- as I let everything sink in.  
Everything I knew is wrong?! I end up thinking. Everything; who I was, my family, even about my own mother!  
"Well, I think you should know that your body is back at Camp Half Blood. Would you like to see?"  
I nod before realizing that he probably can't see me. I tell him yes. A screen pops out of thin air (or would it be thick darkness?) and gives off a slight glow. I try to move to see my hands but I can't for some reason. The screen shows a group of familiar faces sitting in a circle around my body. Some people who I see don't surprise me; Eva, Joselyn, Sandra, Aelix, Ajax, Ammon, Cole, Dionysus, and my entire cabin excluding Greg. Some people do surprise me; Percy, Nico, Thalia, and Brittany Beau. But something peculiar catches my eye. In the Dionysus cabin group is a guy with neon green streaks in his hair. He is quite scrawny and is as sickly pale as me. His facial expression surprises me: he looks as if he is confused to why I am in the state I am.  
The screen shifts so that I can see my body and I got to say I look good for someone who is dead (or whatever this state is). I see that I am wearing a light purple dress. My hair is braided with vines in it and I hold a bouquet of grapes. Typical Dionysus kid attire. The screen shifts so that it is as if I am seeing the scene in my point of view. I feel a stir behind me. A force pushes me close to the screen. I am sucked into the screen before everything goes black.

Sandra’s POV  
Joselyn is up giving a speech about our fallen comrade although I can barely hear her through the sobs; hers as well as everyone else's. (The Dionysus cabin kids are the loudest). I try not to focus on them; I instead look over at the body of my friend. The dress the Aphrodite cabin picked out is so beautiful and fits her well. It hides her broken ribcage and fractured ankle. We decided to put a bouquet of grapes in her hands to hide her right arm.  
Joselyn shadow travelled to CHB and got Nico as well as all of the teleporting Hermes kids she could find. Then she brought them to the fortress and teleported/shadow travelled everyone back to CHB. She also brought back Ryan and by order from the gods is to be executed. As a daughter of Hades, Joselyn gets the honor of executing him. She is so tired from shadow traveling and from the stress/emotions around Dae's death that when she gets down from the podium, Cole catches her in his arms. I can see that he is crying-we all are- I don't really know why. It's not like he was her friend or anything.  
"She was so young!" Josie wails from Cole's arms.  
"Sandra Anderson shall now speak," Dionysus drunkenly says before taking a big swig of Diet Coke. My hands shake as I go up to the podium. Her body is lying on a table from the storage closet. I can't stand to look at anyone's face.  
"Diana Agatha Envis, or Dae as we called her, is-" I stop for a wretched scream escapes Dae's mouth. She gasps then starts hyperventilating.  
"Holy dolphin! What the hell?!" Dionysus yells. Everyone is frozen in amazement and confusion. Dae takes a deep breath; she immediately starts coughing and crying.  
"Alive," I breathe. Derrek, one of Dae's brothers, is the first to respond.  
"Well? Stop staring and help her!"  
"Right," I get straight to work as though I am on autopilot.  
"Eva; go tell Kacey. Josie- go assemble the best of the Apollo cabin. Derrek- help me carry Dae to the infirmary." Aelix is suddenly by Dae's side. She tries to sit up but cries out in pain from her broken ribs. Aelix looks at her with horror.  
"Why? How?" He is abuzz with questions and talks so fast that those are the only ones I can hear. Dae screams out in pain again. Her cheeks are moist; her dress is starting to turn red, the source being her right arm. Derrek picks up the bottom of the table while I pick up the top. Suddenly the rest of the Dionysus Cabin is helping out. Once close to the infirmary I see Joselyn appear with Jake, Will, and four of my other siblings. They come over with a gurney. The Dionysus cabin puts the table down and backs away. Will and I carefully pick Dae up and place her on the gurney. Of course Dae screams in pain and confusion; I worry that we might have done something to hurt her. She can't seem to stop squirming which only makes it worse.  
"Dionysus cabin can leave," Jake yells. No one protests as we push the gurney into the infirmary's surgical room. The top five Apollo kids (not counting Will or I) all decide who does what. They don't include me, which I am really upset about. I stand near the door, tears running down my face as I watch the chaos unfold. Dae keeps fighting against my siblings (mostly because they are trying to get an IV in her).  
"WHERE AM I?!" she cries "WHY DO I HURT EVERYWHERE?!"  
Due to her ribs being broken, she goes into a coughing fit. One of my sisters tries for the tenth time to get Dae to lie down but she stubbornly keeps sitting up. Will tries to get the Demigod laughing gas mask over her but she just swats him away.  
"STOP TOUCHING ME!" she screams at the top of her lungs. Suddenly I find myself getting pulled out of the room and into Ajax's arms.  
"Come on Sandy-she is in good hands," he soothes. I cry into his chest.  
"I want to help!" I cry. He pulls me away from the surgical room.  
"I know you do but you have done beautifully. Let Will and your siblings take it from here. Will single handedly saved you from the poison; he can do this!"  
I feel safe and comfy in his arms. Ajax picks me up bridal style.  
"How about we go to our cabin, hmm?" he asks. I feel a tear land on my head. Through my own tears I see that he is crying. Ajax Victor is crying.  
"Why are you crying?" I whisper.  
"You may not believe it but I truly care about you AND your friends. I was only an a** because of Patrick possessing me," he looks me in the eyes. Ajax frowns.  
"Don't cry Sandy, I don't want your beautiful face to be washed away."  
Once outside, Ajax puts me down so I can walk. Just as we near my cabin, Jake calls to me.  
"Hey Sandra!"  
Ajax and I turn around to see Jake carrying a little girl who looks about five years old.  
"Yeah Jake?" I wipe away the tears from my eyes.  
"Can you look after our daughter? We got her a few days ago," Jake asks. The girl looks up at me and has a smile so huge and full of light, I can't help but smile at her.  
"Uh sure..." I turn to Ajax "if you don't mind some extra company, of course," I say. Ajax nods.  
"How can I say no to a cute thing like this?" he says whilst scooping up the girl in his arms.  
"My name is Gwen. What are your names?" the girl says, a tad shy. She talks with a slight lisp.  
"I'm Ajax Victor and this is Sandra Anderson," Ajax introduces.  
"So how did you end up with her?" I ask Jake. He gestures to Gwen.  
"Let her explain," Jake orders before rushing back to the infirmary.  
"A few months ago my mommy told me that she had this weird disease that was spreading over her. A few days ago it got really bad so we went to see this magic doctor who could cure almost anything! When we got there, my mom collapsed. While she was in with the doctor, a sun with an arrow through it appeared over my head. Jake told me about the gods and stuff. Then Will came out of the room. He said my mom went to see one of the god's and that I could stay with them until she came back. He also said that we were brother and sister!" Gwen explains. Her story is so sad I almost start crying all over again.  
"What god did she go see?" Ajax asks gently.  
"Some dude... I forget his name but it started with an H," she says.  
Hades, Ajax mouths with a sad expression.  
"You said Will is your brother?" I say, changing the subject. "That means you are my sister!" Ajax passes Gwen over to me.  
"I'm going to teach you everything I know!" I exclaim before running off to my cabin. I hear Ajax's footsteps trailing behind us. Only one thought is going through my mind:  
This will distract me from Dae.

Eva’s POV  
Anticipation is the most painful thing I have been through this week. More excruciating than the arrow in my foot, or watching my friend kill herself, or speaking at said friend's funeral. Aelix is a basket case. Ammon and Cole had to literally pry him away from the surgical room door. We were afraid his constant banging, wailing, and yelling would disturb the people trying to help Dae.  
Right now Aelix is asleep on Ammon (Joselyn can make people fall asleep like stereotypical vampires can) and is softly snoring. Joselyn and Cole are cuddling on the floor and I sit next to Ammon on the couch. The infirmary doesn't have a waiting room so we are in Dr. Bishop's office. Not much news has come except for when Cole's brother Jake came to collect our blood types. When we asked why he told us that Dae lost a lot of blood- both from the battle and from the procedure. Luckily from her cabin there were 34 willing donors (her brothers) in Kacey's office. Three of her brothers are in the room with us; Derrek, Martin (whom I learnt is mute. Derrek for the most part speaks for him) and this creepy dude named Ugene. Ugene scares me a bit. Since over half of the Dionysus cabin are on drugs or have had alcohol recently, Jake along with two other Apollo kids did blood test to make sure people were clean. When Jake did the test to make sure Ugene was clean, the son of Dionysus claimed that the needle 'tickled' and laughed.  
They found five brothers clean enough to take blood from. Out of all of us, Ammon and Sandra were the only matches but they didn't want to make Dae a cross-demigod. The Apollo kids got just enough to help Dae out.  
Now we wait.  
"Evaline?" Ammon whispers. I look at him.  
"Yeah?" I don't bother trying to hide my sadness.  
"It might not be the right time to bring this up, but about that thing we did on the mountain..."  
"The kiss?"  
"Yeah" he chuckles nervously, "I just want you to know that I'm here for you and when Dae gets better-"  
He said WHEN not IF...  
"-maybe we could, possibly, if you're up for it, um go on an official date?"  
I smile despite the situation. Ammon likes me so much that he is nervous. He also cares about not only me, but my friends as well. I nod.  
"After I can sleep at night, then yes."  
Aelix shifts so that his face is near Ammon's neck, his head on Ammon's shoulder.  
After a few minutes of doing a crossword puzzle I found on Kacey's desk, I hear Ammon whisper my name.  
"Eva? I have a problem..." he whispers.  
I look up alarmed.  
"What is it?" I set down my puzzle book. He looks around the room then back at me with a disgusted look on his face.  
"Aelix is drooling on me," he whispers.  
I chuckle and go back to my crossword.

An hour later  
I'm done with the crossword book. No news has come and people in here are getting angsty. Sandra, Ajax and a little girl whom I haven't seen before came in half an hour ago, Ajax is now talking to Cole and Josie. Joselyn is twirling her skull pendant in between her fingers; a sign she is nervous. Sandra is teaching the little girl how to play One Direction songs on the clarinet. Just when they get to the chorus in the song "Diana", there is a knock on the door. Aelix's head pops up and he is the first one at the door.  
Will calmly makes his way to the garbage can, disposes of his bloody latex gloves, and sits on the desk.  
"She is beat up pretty bad, but will live."  
All the tension in the room dissipates. Aelix suddenly runs up to Will and bear hugs him.  
"Thank you!" he whispers into Will's shirt.  
"When can we see her? Is she awake?" Joselyn asks.  
"Since you all, in our terms, are close 'family' then yes. But I will warn you, she is still knocked out. We were able to fully repair her concussion and partially repair her broken rib with Nectar alone. She lost like 65% of her blood-which we were luckily able to replace- so right now she is still under the demigod sleepy gas. The main reason we are keeping her under for now is so that her body gets used to the new blood and so she can rest," Will explains.  
Joselyn and the rest of us ponder what we want to do.  
"I want to see her," pipes up Ammon. We all stare at him; I chuckle at the dark spot on his shoulder.  
"I'm going," Joselyn and Sandra say in unison.  
"We are going," Ajax declares, linking as with the son of Hephaestus. He looks at Ajax, confused.  
"We are?"  
"We aren't going; Martin is a tad squeamish." Derrek announces.  
"I'm not going," Ugene calls as he exits. Joselyn audibly sighs in relief.  
"Thank the gods, that guy give me the creeps!" Joselyn shivers. She glares at Martin.  
"Who are you?"  
She clearly wasn't paying attention during introductions.  
"Martin John Summers, Dae's full younger brother," Derrek says.  
"I'm going," I quietly put in. We don't have to ask Aelix if he wants to come.  
"WIIIIIILLLLLL," whines the five year old girl. I almost forgot about her! "Do I HAVE to see her?" she whines.  
"No," Will sighs, clearly exhausted. "Go find Jake and ask for a tour of Bunker Nine."  
Gwen skips away.  
When we get to the doors, Will hesitates and turns to face the group.  
"Here are the rules; don't touch any wires/tubes, don't touch the machines, and do NOT touch her at all. You can be as loud as you want because she is the only one in there. Any questions?"  
"May I look after her?" pipes up Sandra from the back of the group.  
"Yes," Will deadpan.  
He opens the doors.


	19. What Doesn't Kill You

Chapter 18- What Doesn’t Kill You

Joselyn’s POV

Dae looks horrible. Seven tubes/wires are attached to her left arm and an IV is hooked up on her right arm. There are bandages on her right arm, where the marks used to be. She is wearing a hospital gown but I can see the bandage under it, wrapping around her lower torso/abdomen. Her left ankle is swelled up and has taken a lovely purple- blue color.  
Aelix is the first to respond audibly. Some very colorful words come out of his mouth with breaks in between to mention names, objects, and different areas where his fist would like to make contact. It all surprises us and we take a moment to fully register his words.  
"Aelix, calm down please!" Will orders.  
"Calm down?" Aelix's eye twitches "HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN?! MY GIRLFRIEND IS IN THE HOSPITAL PASSED OUT AND DRUGGED, AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK ME TO STAY CALM?!" his yelling is muffled by four hands wrapping around him. Ajax and Cole hold Aelix down and cover his mouth. Aelix squirms in protest.  
"I think he needs to see Dr. Bishop," Ajax says diplomatically, as if he takes ranting raging people to see psychologists on a daily basis. Will nods.  
"Take him away."  
Once they get about halfway down the hall, Cole squeals in pain.  
"Aelix mordió la mano!" He exclaims.  
"Aelix bit his hand," I translate.  
The boys take him away kicking and screaming and crying.  
"So when exactly is she going to wake up?" Ammon shyly asks. Will checks the machines, recording the results on a clipboard.  
"I would say if she heals at a good rate then she will be awake in six days. At worst, a month." Will reports.  
Looking at my friend's beaten and bruised body fills me with a rage for revenge. I'm going to kill the bitch who took part it causing her current state- since I am the executor. The Hecate cabin has him in a special cell.  
Before I can register it, I shadow-travel without telling anyone. A Hecate and Ares guard stands outside the purple buzzing cage.  
"who goes there?" the Ares kid demands.  
"Joselyn hunt, daughter of Hades. I am here to do the execution," I say as calmly as I can.  
"Prove you are who you say," The Hecate kid orders. I smirk before turning into a hellhound. Everyone at camp knows that I can turn into a hellhound and Nico can't. At first they stare at me in awe but open the cage.  
"Approved."  
The door opens.  
"Ryan, Ryan..... Ryan," I say whilst approaching the slumped over, chained son of Ares. He doesn't meet my eyes; I get out my whip and hit him with it. Blood slowly flows from the wound marks. Ryan doesn't cry.  
"Why did you do it?" I ask with a bittersweet tone.  
"Lord Ares is my father," He states.  
"Really?" I deadpan "That's the reason?"  
"Yes," Ryan spits at me.  
I kick him hard in the ribs with my steel-toed combat boot. I smile when I hear the CRACK of his ribs. I then proceed in breaking his ankle with my own hands and with the spikes of my whip, make 4 deep holes into the flesh of his right arm.  
"What the hell?" he mutters through gritted teeth.  
"Now you know how Dae feels," I spit at him before kicking him hard in the ribs.  
(AN: I'm not going to tell you lovely readers exactly what happens in the next hour in this fanfic because I'm sure you would be scarred for life. All I am going to say is that Joselyn burns off some steam torturing souls in the Fields of Punishment for her dad).  
By the time I'm done torturing him for information, I have some shitty info on Patrick and Ares. According to the Hecate guard, Ryan is somehow immune to the truth serum as well as the spells they tried, so the torturing got better results. Ryan told me that Patrick is going to get revenge for Ares, that he has his top two spies at camp, and that Dae will go through much worse that what happened at the fortress.  
I hear footsteps behind me.  
"Woah, Josie! What did you do, skin him alive?!" Eva exclaims from the other side of the cage. I tell the guards to let her in.  
"Pretty close to it!" I reply with a smirk.  
Suddenly I feel a surprisingly strong hand grasp my neck. Ryan's breath is haggard against my ear.  
"You think you can torture me and just leave me to die? You have to work on your methods."  
Black spots dance in my vision.  
"How about a sword through the heart?" Eva suggests through gritted teeth. Her voice comes from behind me. The hands go slack around my throat and Ryan collapses to the ground. I take in as much air I can.  
"Thanks Evaline!" I breath, I stare at the crumpled body on the ground "What did you do, kill him?" I question.  
"No, that's your job. I just simply hit him with the hilt of my sword."  
I hug her.  
"Now... To dispose of him... Stand back!"  
Eva goes as close to the edge of the cage. As she possibly can. I focus on the story Annabeth and Percy told us, as well as Nico's version of Tartarus. I hear three collective gasps. I smirk before opening my eyes.  
"Any last words?" I ask Ryan, not really interested. With a vain look in his eyes and the blood running down his face, creating a red mask, he smiles deviously.  
"You have no clue what you are getting into. Ares has been secretly plotting this since seeing Gaea's ways. He and a huge group believe that mortals are to be used as slaves." Ryan slithers. I kick him so that he rolls into the pit. His left hand is the only thing keeping him from falling.  
"The Fate of all Dionysus kids will attack at exactly the right moment; Patrick made sure of it!" he says before letting go and falling into Tartarus.

Eva’s POV  
Dae is still passed out cold in the infirmary. Joselyn, the boys, and I have taken shifts in coming to see her. Although Aelix doesn't seem to take 'shifts'. At the moment, he is sitting in a computer chair next to Dae's bed, his hand intertwined with her's, and is hunched over asleep with a part of the mattress as his pillow. Joselyn and Sandra are beside me standing in the infirmary doorway.  
"How long has he been there?" I ask.  
"Three days straight," replies Sandra, sympathetic "hasn't left her side. Ajax and Ammon have brought him food and water, Cole has been teaching Inner Self classes for him, and they all have tried repeatedly to coax him away from her but nothing has worked." she sighs heavily.  
"How is Dae?" pain is crisp in Joselyn's voice and I can tell by looking at her that she is holding back tears.  
"We put her on a muscle relaxant and pain killers for what the Ambrosia and Nectar couldn't heal. She has an IV in to help her stay asleep, a nutrient supplier, and some wires hooked on to figure out stuff like blood pressure. Now we just have to wait till she can talk and tell us if anything else hurts. I will warn you not to overwhelm her when she does wake up" Sandra explains. I can't imagine volunteering to nurse one of my best friends... I think.  
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Joselyn asks hopefully. Sandra checks her clipboard.  
"It would be great if you guys can get her to eat once she is fully awake; one of the medications she is on makes her not feel hunger."  
Joselyn and I look at each other then back at Sandra.  
"Anything" we say in unison.  
THUMP  
We all turn around to face the direction in which the noise came from; Aelix has fallen out of his chair. We chuckle despite the situation.  
"Oh, Aelix..." Joselyn sighs whilst walking towards him. Sandra and I join. Aelix's head pops up and the son of Phobos looks confused for a few seconds.  
"How is she?" Aelix desperately whispers. Sandra puts on a pair of latex gloves and approaches Dae's bed. She does the usual- check vitals, blood pressure, and bandages, changes the bandage on her ankle and changes the one on her arm. I take this moment to truly observe Aelix. He has run his hands through his raven hair so many times that it resembles a charred, beaten up tumbleweed. Aelix has his shirt on inside out, his pants have smudges on them (some of which are blood) and he has a crazy look in his navy blue eyes.  
"So?" he asks hopefully, accompanied by his voice rising up a few octaves. Sandra smiles but not one of happiness.  
"Better than yesterday," she replies. I'm glad Aelix isn't an Ares kid or Sandra would be dead by now.  
"YOU SAID THAT YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE THAT!" Aelix yells. Before we know it Aelix is balling his eyes out on Joselyn's shoulder. She bites her lip unsure of what to do. She rubs his back in soothing circles.  
"It's going to be okay," I sooth "Sandra is an exceptional Apollo kid and if she can't heal Diana, she will know someone who can!"  
"Aw, thanks Eva!" Sandra blushes.  
"Aelix how about to you go talk to Mitchell?" I suggest. He looks at me in disgust; as if I just confessed to murdering his parents.  
"No! I can't leave her!" he cries then turns around to face Dae's bed. He collapses back into his chair and sobs into Dae's right arm. "I can't leave her..." he mutters over and over again.  
It makes my heart melt (to the point where I feel like a marshmallow has replaced all of my bodily organs) to see him so broken. Aelix hasn't been to training or been teaching for the past few days but he hasn't gained any weight. The boy eats so little that he has actually lost the little fat he had.  
"That's it," I cave in "I'm getting Mitchell," I announce to everyone. Aelix gives me that murderous stare again but I am unfazed by it. I text Kacey to get Mitchell to come ASAP.  
"I don't need to talk to Mitchell. I need to talk to Dae," Aelix whines.  
Once Mitchell arrives, Aelix moves closer to Dae (a feat I had deemed nearly impossible) and Kacey's boyfriend observes from a far. He tells us to act like we have been.  
"Aelix, how about we go for a walk?" Josie suggests. Aelix shakes his head.  
"I can't," he replies back.  
"Come on! You haven't been out in the sun in a while!" she attempts to entice him.  
"I see the sun through the window every day," Aelix mechanically replies, his eyes not leaving Diana.  
"But that's nothing like the real thing!" She is desperately trying to get him out and away. I'm actually pretty surprised at how broken Aelix is. I can tell that he is truly in love with her and cares for Dae. It didn't take long for them to get together (mostly because of Aelix's fatal flaw being overly and easily-attached and Diana's act on impulse). He is literally going mad from the fact that she is passed out cold, even though she is going to be alright. Nobody would think of Diana as tough but I do. Thinking of all Diana has been through, with her psychopathic brothers, abusive and evil step-fathers, family confusion, etc... She has tough will power. She will get through this; she just has to.  
Mitchell emits a calm demeanor as he approaches Aelix.  
"Mr. Phillips? Let's go talk in my office, okay?" he gently suggests, tugging the sleeve of Aelix's shirt.  
"But what if she wakes up while I am gone?! I HAVE to be here for her!" Aelix cries out, more angry than sad.  
"I would think Miss Envis-"  
"Summers. Her last name is Summers," Aelix corrects. Then, not as loud says "but not for long."  
"Miss Summers won't be ready for visitors when she wakes up. She will be cranky, in agonizing pain, and she won't want you seeing her like that. You can come see her once she is feeling better, okay?"  
Aelix doesn't respond.  
"You can ride on my back if you want..." Mitchell coaxes, pinching the brink of his nose. This sort of peaks Aelix's interest and he reluctantly climbs on Mitchell's back. Sandra digs into her doctor’s coat, pulls out a red sucker, and offers it to Aelix.  
"I want the purple one," he pouts. Sandra smiles with sorrow and hands him a purple sucker. Aelix's sobs can be heard from down the hall.  
"How’s my one and only sister?" Ugene calls from the infirmary entrance. Joselyn rolls her eyes and places a hand on her belt, ready to transform it into a whip at any moment.  
"What do you want?" Josie growls.  
"Ugene brought Dae some flowers," Derrek answers. Turning around I spot Ugene holding a pot of flowers, followed by Martin with some balloons and Derrek with a big card.  
"We got some satyrs and nature nymphs to help the dyslexic members of our cabin sign the card," Derrek explains. I see at the corner of my eye, Sandra's mouth open in an unhealthy looking way.  
"So where do you want me to put these?" Ugene asks. The fragrance of the flowers hits my nose like a wave. It's absolutely wonderful! Roses, lupines, lilacs, daisies, and much more; it would take a child of Demeter to name all of them. Sandra tells him to put them and the card on a nearby windowsill, to which they obey. Martin ties the balloons to the railing. His eyes scan his sister and a nauseated look comes about him.  
"Martin, are you okay?" Josie bluntly asks. The boy in question shoots her a thumbs up before bolting down the hallway. I hear the distinct sound of fluid hitting the plastic of the garbage can.  
"Martin is a bit squeamish," Derrek explains before running after him.  
"So they ARE related!" Josie proclaims "Martin and Diana both are squeamish!"  
That isn't a hereditary trait... I almost say but decide to leave it.  
We turn our attention back to Dae only to find Ugene sitting on her bed, stroking her face softly.  
She's... Paler than I expected," Ugene slowly points out. Joselyn crosses her arms.  
"Yeah, she is usually like that," The daughter of Hades snaps. "What's it to ya?"  
Ugene seems unaffected by her snapping at him.  
"Paleness runs in the family on dad's side. I just thought since I am pale and Martin is almost Asian that she would be like a mix of the two. But its funny how someone alive can be so pale..." he smiles menacingly, never averting his eyes from his sister.  
"You do know why she is alive, right?" he inquires.  
No, we haven't exactly figured that out yet. Joselyn is going to talk to her dad about that; I think tomorrow," I reply.  
Ugene starting playing with one of the wires (which irritates Sandra very much and she is doing a fine job of showing it). Sandra clears her throat.  
"Don't touch any of the medical supplies please..." she warns. Ugene drops it and decides to play with a strand of hair instead. I see in my peripheral vision Josie tense up each time Ugene touches Diana.  
"Well how about I just tell you instead of making you go through all that trouble?" the son of Dionysus inquires with a mischievous smile on his face. We lean in closer, our curiosities peaked. He takes a long pause to turn around and face us, taking time for all of us to make eye contact. I notice his right eye go from the emerald green to a violet purple.  
"A sacrifice."

Kacey’s POV  
"How's Diana?" I ask Mitchell. Ever since she has been in the infirmary, I haven't had the guts to see her. Mitchell has gone in and gives me status reports; I am not ready to see her, not until she wakes up.  
"I didn't see her this morning, they were changing something and Jake didn't let me talk to Will or Sandra." he says while setting down my cafe mocha. He holds my hand.  
"Don't worry about her, you have to get to starting an investigation as to WHY she isn't dead," he pauses before explaining. "I mean, I'm glad she is alive but doesn't that seem strange? That she just woke up in the middle of her funeral?"  
He is right you know, a little voice in my head says. I sigh.  
"You're right; people are going to be asking questions. Dae is probably going to be the most confused; unless she has information. But we better investigate since she..."  
I get interrupted by the buzzing of my phone. The mortal device has been a wonderful means of communication. Taking it out of its drawer, I see that Evaline Malone has texted me.  
Hey Kacey, its Evaline  
Please send Mitchell to deal with Aelix Phillips, he is having attachment issues. Thanks!  
Mitchell has had to deal with a lot of pissed off, emotional, and drunk sons of Dionysus in the past days so this is new.  
"What is it?" Mitch asks, still holding my hand. I blush.  
"They need you in the infirmary; Aelix's fatal flaw is-" I don't even need to finish; Mitch knows. He kisses me goodbye before trotting down to the infirmary.  
A few minutes later, with the kiss still fresh on my lips, I hear a soft knock on my door.  
"Come in, it's open," I call. I seriously don't get why people knock; my door is always open!  
Nico slams the door. He looks a tad on edge and his black eyes are as big as they will ever be.  
"There's a situation in the woods.  
Nico leads me to a small clearing in the woods. A group of demigods, one I recognize Victor, are surrounding one of the trees. Some onlookers are crying, others scream when they get a chance to see the tree.  
"EVERYONE BACK AWAY!" I yell into my megaphone. They all back away revealing a body hanging from the tree by a noose of vines around their neck. He is shirtless which displays a mark like Dae's on his chest. His chest is covered with blood (stapled, gross!) to his chest.

Eva’s POV  
I think that Joselyn needs to talk to Mitchell about her anger issues. In three seconds flat she has Ugene pinned on the ground, a needle from the tray next to Dae's bed pointed at his neck, and a bit of blood coming from his nose.  
"What sacrifice?" She growls. Ugene doesn't seem scared of Josie, more shocked at her reflexes. It quickly passes and he laughs evilly.  
"I believe Kacey would know. In fact, you can talk to her now! Look out the door."  
We all turn to look. When I turn around, Ugene is now on top of Joselyn.  
"Ah, a woman in her rightful place," he makes a tsk noise with his mouth. I unsheathe Tsunami, yank his head back by his black curls, and touch the blade to his jugular.  
"Get... Off," I put as much venom as I can muster to sound intimidating. Ugene reluctantly gets off.  
Suddenly Kacey, Nico and Ajax's Strength class bursts through the door. They promptly start shouting for help and that they need as many Apollo kids as possible. Sandra and all her cabin-mates who are 14 and up. To us, everything is a blur; someone pushes us closer to the wall; lots of shouting and screaming; I can't even see the body.  
"Eva, we have a problem," Joselyn informs me while she tugs on my shirt sleeve.  
"What?"  
But when I turn to look at Josie, I see that one of the patients has awoken. Diana looks over at us, smiles, then her eyes widen at her left arm (the one with all the tubes. She screams- either in pain or fear- and starts crying.  
"Joselyn help me calm her down; they can't disturb what they are doing," I order.  
"How can I help?" Ugene asks no sign of sympathy towards his sister.  
"Stay clear of the chaos!"I command.  
Joselyn heads to Dae's right in hopes to calm her down, but tackles her in a hug and starts crying.  
"Thank the gods!" she wails. I give in and hug her as well. When we go to part, Diana only pulls me closer so my ear is near her mouth.  
"Bang-keth," she whispers.  
"What?" I ask, pulling away.  
"Bang-keth, Bang-keth!" she repeats. I look at Joselyn to see if she has any clue but have no such luck.  
"Did she just ask you to bring meth?" Ugene questions. I point to the wall.  
"Stay clear of the chaos, remember?"  
He goes back to his bored, slumped against the wall stance. I turn to Joselyn.  
"Go find Sandra or some non-occupied Apollo kids," I order, Josie nods before jogging away. Looking over at Dae I see that she is pulling at one of the tubes, tears streaming down her face. I quickly scold her.  
"Bad girl! Don't do that!" I look at Ugene "Come and hold her down please," I ask. He smugly smiles before grabbing her arm (her bandaged arm) causing Dae to only get more upset.  
I take some medical tape from a nearby cart, hold down her other arm, and tape wires/tubes in such a way that she won't be able to pull them out.  
"Found her!" Josie exclaims from behind me, a bit out of breath. Sandra looks from me to Dae, to the tape.  
"What...?"  
"She was trying to take out the tubes," I blurt out. Sandra looks over at Dae; she shakes her head 'no' with an innocent look on her face. Sandra crosses her arms.  
"Really? Tell the truth!"  
Dae closes her eyes, a tear escapes from her eye, and she scrunches up her face. Dae curls up to the best of her ability into a ball. She starts sobbing and wailing.  
Sandra rubs her back in a soothing motion, and I notice something emitting from her hand.  
Sunlight, I think to myself.  
"Dae, tell me what's wrong," she compels her to say.  
"Tubfs" she whimpers "Bang-keth."  
Sandra leans in close.  
"Bang-keth..." Diana softly says.  
"Blanket?" Sandra guesses. Dae nods.  
"Why can't we understand her?" Joselyn questions. Sandra wraps a blanket around Diana's arm, covering the tubes. "And how do you know what to do with the blanket?"  
"First of all, she's talking funny because of one of the medications she is on. It should go away shortly. Secondly, she was crying and pulling at the wires/tubes in her arms trying to tell us that she wants them out of her sight. She's scared of almost everything doctor related and she is in a lot of pain," Sandra explains. Ugene sneaks up behind Joselyn and somehow wedges himself between the daughter of Hades and his sister.  
"Diana, say 'chubby bunny'!" he calls. Josie slaps him hard enough to leave a blue bruise on his face.  
"Asshole," she mutters. Sandra giggles.  
"Perhaps I should check the machines?" Sandra says to herself.  
After getting a clipboard, studying each machine carefully and talking with a cabin-mate, Sandra comes to a conclusion.  
"I can take two tubes out," the daughter of Apollo announces. She turns to Josie, Ugene and I.  
"Two of you can help keep her calm."  
Looking over at Diana I see that she is already glassy-eyed at the mere thought of getting something pulled out of her. Josie positions herself near the top of the hospital bed, her hips near Diana's. I place myself on the other side but make sure Sandra can still do her job. As soon as Sandra touches Diana's arm, the daughter of Dionysus tenses up like a cat. Sandra slowly takes out one of the tubes. Diana starts hyperventilating and crying. I place a hand on her head.  
"Diana, breathe!" I calmly command. Diana pulls us in closer to bear hug us, bringing her knees to her chest.  
"Diana the more you tense up the more it will hurt," I tell her. Diana starts balling her eyes out on Joselyn's shoulder.  
"Gods, you're exactly like Martin!" Ugene emotionlessly tells Diana. I glare at him.  
"Not helping!" I warn through clenched teeth.  
"How CAN I help?" he asks with a menacing glimmer in his eyes. "I could..." he slowly strides over to Diana's right. He nimbly touches her arm.  
"Help take out all of the machines. They don't work."  
We look at him, flabbergasted.  
"Excuse me?! We all say.  
"Only the side effects work on her. Martin has the exact same power," he chuckles "well, he is immune to MORTAL drugs. As a kid Martin broke his arm. The mortal doctor prescribed some painkillers that would make his arm immobile but the pain would go away. He took TEN, lost feeling in his arm and part of his shoulder. He didn't feel better until he had a bowl of grapes." Ugene tells us as if the matter bores him.  
"What about when you broke Diana's wrist?" Joselyn excitedly says "I gave her painkillers that made her loopy!"  
Then it clicks.  
"Remember we had to pour grape juice on her to wake her up?"  
Sandra's face lights up in recognition.  
"Three tubes here are Apollo kid engineered. So I can take out two more tubes!"  
Diana claps but then shrinks back into Joselyn. Josie hugs back, whispering into her ear. Apparently Joselyn says something funny because Diana laughs. She coughs a bit.  
"Wubow da angesisa?" Diana asks quietly through her coughs. Sandra takes a moment to think.  
"What about the anesthesia?" Sandra guesses. Diana nods.  
"Man, you are good!" Joselyn doesn't try to hide how epic she think Sandra's skill is. Sandra giggles at Joselyn.  
(Meanwhile I see the group of demigods has shrunk and people are carrying the body to the surgery room)  
"The anesthetic was Apollo kid engineered so I guess Dae isn't immune to that," Sandra thinks out loud, taking notes "Josie grab some ice for Dae's ankle?" Sandra asks.  
"Why can't I do it?" Ugene demands.  
"I don't trust you," Sandra snaps at him. She turns to me.  
"Eva can you take over Joselyn's spot?"  
I hesitantly take over Josie's spot. Diana clings to me as if I am a lifeline, her breaths ragged due to her crying.  
"I hate hospitals, I hate hospitals!" she mutters under her breath.  
Then I get an idea and concentrate hard. I have this weird power where I can will myself to smell like the ocean. I thought it was stupid until now. I feel Dae physically relax. Her breaths slowing to a healthier rate. An odd question pops up in my head.  
"Sandra? What's the date and time?"  
Sandra is too busy to hear me.  
"It's June 19th and is 4:00pm." Ugene answers "Why?"  
"Tomorrow is Dae's birthday!" I exclaim.  
Oh, she is going to be in the infirmary for her birthday... I think.  
"Seventeen, right?"  
Diana nods.  
"I'm going to be sixteen if any of you care," Ugene interjects. At this moment, Josie returns.  
"No one cares," She awkwardly informs him. Ugene storms off.  
"Thank the gods, he gives me the creeps!" Diana whispers. Her eyes widen with her free hand poking her mouth.  
"I can talk normally!" she exclaims before grabbing my hand, starts pulling me closer and starts screaming. After she finishes screaming, she slumps back to a lying position.  
"Last one," Sandra says with a sad smile.

Diana’s POV- 6 hours later  
I've been awake for six hours though it feels like days. Since I am immune to the mortal drugs, and I don't want to die from Ambrosia/Nectar poisoning, I am in excruciating pain- I would not wish it upon anyone. My arm, where the marks used to be, looks pretty bad according to Sandra (I'm not allowed to see it because Sandra doesn't want me to faint). She also told me that I had a bone sticking out of my skin so they did surgery on it to Re-Align the bone and to prevent blood loss. I lost 65% of my blood through my arm but luckily I had a cabin full of brothers and 7 friends willing to donate blood. Only 5 cabin-mates were clean enough, had the same blood type as me, and they wouldn't let my friends give any due to fear of cross-contamination. I have bruises all over my torso, it's hard to breathe because of two broken ribs, and my ankle is fractured. But I'm alive.  
They moved me to the Unclaimed/ Extra Infirmary Cabin for my "safety and well being". Apparently someone committed suicide. Sandra won't tell me who it is and whenever I ask about it she just tells me to "concentrate on getting better".  
The second most exciting thing that has already happened today is that three hours ago I ate a Popsicle. Sandra keeps pushing the Popsicles. It's now her job, to keep me company, AKA make sure I behave, fill me in on what happens, and make sure I am fed.  
Sandra isn't letting Aelix in to see me because apparently he was deemed 'mentally unstable'. She told me that his fatal flaw is attachment.  
Eva, Josie, Kacey, and (sometimes) Ajax come in to see me. Sandra sometimes gets them to help out with, for example, changing my bandage. Although Ajax is only allowed to do stuff with my consent. Two hours ago, Sandra and Ajax were checking my vitals (eyes, ears, nose, heart, lungs) and Ajax suddenly took my injured foot, starting making it point and flex. Let's just say that he got a nice bruise on his face from my non-fractured foot.  
Cole and Ammon are coming to see me soon although I have no clue why. Probably to see their girlfriends, kiss them and whisk them away. I'm just an excuse to score with their girlfriends.  
Speaking of the girls, Joselyn and Evaline are getting berries to make me a smoothie. Sandra is currently at the nurse’s station mixing something for a girl who came in earlier with a big gash down her torso. Someone put her, a twelve year old, against an eighteen year old.  
"Sandra?" I croak. I haven't really used my voice much because I don't want answer questions on what happened at the fortress. She pokes her head out to see who spoke and is by my side in a heartbeat.  
"What do you need? Anything hurt?" she asks worriedly glancing from my eyes to the different injury sites. I nod.  
"Almost everything hurts. Can I have some water?" I slowly and rasp. Sandra looks at me with sympathy.  
"Of course,"  
She runs down the hall, bumping into Cole and Ammon. I wait for them to stop and turn around but they don't. The boys both stride up to my bedside. I adjust the bed so that I am in a sitting position; I raise an eyebrow, and then laugh. Cole is almost fully black, NOT IN THE RACIST WAY but from oil. The sleek black stuff covers him; from his hair to his skin and his clothes. Ammon looks uncomfortable.  
"Cómo está nuesto pequeño soldado?" Cole smiles and ruffles my hair. I smile back even though I have no clue what he just said. Ammon smacks Cole lightly.  
"You don't know where she hurts!" He scolds. Cole puts his hand over his mouth.  
"So sorry chica!" he apologizes.  
Sandra comes back with my water, bringing along Evaline and Joselyn. They have multiple shades of red, orange and purple staining their clothes. Josie carries a big basket of berries.  
"Hey Dae! How are you feeling?" Eva asks after they give me a hug. Looking down I see that no berry juice is on my clothes.  
"Okay," I sigh- bad idea. I immediately start coughing and can’t stop until Sandra puts an inhaler in my mouth. She pushes down on the button thing while I breathe in; the medicine enters my lungs, calming them down.  
"That's your definition of okay?" Ammon chuckles nervously, still a bit shell shocked. The two girls glare at their boyfriends.  
"Why are you guys here anyway?" Josie demands.  
"Just because she isn't my girlfriend doesn't mean that I don't care about her well-being," Ammon innocently replies. Josie glares at her boyfriend.  
"Same," he squeaks. I chuckle at how much control Joselyn has on her boyfriend. I grab the glass of water from my bedside table; as soon as it is contents hits my throat I feel like a dying desert that gets hit by a tsunami. Eva gets one of those 'why didn't I think of this before?' looks.  
"What is it Ev?" Ammon asks whilst slipping his arm around her waist.  
Smooth Nikomedes, Smooth....  
Eva blushes a bit and pushes him away.  
"Everyone back away except for Sandra," she orders. They all obey. Josie and the boys sit in confusion on the nearest unoccupied bed.  
"Someone fetch me grapes, raisins, or alcohol," She orders. Joselyn disappears for a moment but then reappears with the basket and some rubbing alcohol.  
"What are you doing honey?" Ammon calls.  
"You know when we healed her with alcohol and then with grape juice? What if we could do that with the grapes or rubbing alcohol?" Eva ponders out loud. Eva then goes to uncover the blankets I have as my shelter. She then looks me in the eyes.  
"Do you want your ribs, ankle, or arm healed? I will tell you that your arm might not heal for a while and is the least likely to heal."  
"Ribs; need my breath for training," I croak.  
Right now training seems better than this. I think that the battle would have ended differently if I had been properly trained. Maybe I could try starting with the basics, change my weapon, and even repeat Survival 101 with Sandra. But before I can do any of that, I have to get better or good enough to leave the infirmary's watch.  
Joselyn rushes to Eva's side.  
"Anything I can do to help?" she asks hopefully. Eva chuckles.  
"Moral support? This might hurt..."  
Joselyn is by my side in a heartbeat, gripping my hand gently but with a strange ferocity. I feel the top part of the bed lower. I jump when Sandra pushes my hair back with her hands. Eva puts on plastic gloves and I start sweating, "It's not like they are pulling teeth!" Josie attempts to cheer me up. They know I don't like grapes so Eva stuffs the grapes in my mouth then covers it with her hand. Not wanting to get in trouble, I chew and swallow. At first I don't feel anything; then it hits me. I feel my airways being blocked, my sight narrowing I try to take in a breath of oxygen but it’s like trying to break a wall of rubber by throwing a ball at it. Just when I think I'm going to pass out, my airways get free, my ribs don't hurt, they even feel better than when I was healthy! Sandra pulls over a portable X-ray, positions it over my torso, and studies it closely. Joselyn and Eva lean in to look; I blush. Who wouldn't when their friends are studying their insides? Sandra smiles.  
"They are fully repaired," she beams. Everyone else let's go a breath they have been unnoticeably holding. The daughter of Hades giggles.  
"Why are you turning red Diana?" she asks.  
"How are you feeling?" Sandra cautiously asks. I take a minute to think. Most of the pain is gone; it's only my ankle that really hurts. As well as the burning sensation in my right arm.  
"A lot better, thanks!" I earnestly tell them. Looking over at Eva I can see that she is just dancing on the line between asleep and awake; Ammon is supporting most of her weight. Now that I REALLY look at my friends, I can see how physically demanding it is on them. Not one person doesn't have bags under their eyes.  
Suddenly, Sam MacDonald rushes in with a vial of purple-pink liquid.  
"I got it Sandra; just like you requested!" Sam announces proudly. Sandra's face lights up like a jack-o-lantern.  
"Thanks!"  
Sam runs off; Sandra turns to me.  
"Diana, I think you need some rest," Sandra says as if addressing a child.  
No, I don't want to be alone!  
"No!" Joselyn retaliates "Can I stay with her?"  
"No, she needs rest, not a therapy session," Sandra scowls. Ammon catches Eva right before she hits the ground due to slumber. He and Cole leave.  
"Do I have to get Ajax?" Sandra threats.  
"Don't fight!" I yell, louder than I was going for. Sandra flinches.  
"Please?" I say 10 times softer. "I think I have had enough rest! I have been passed out for like a week and would really like some company! We could... Play board games! Or fill me in on stuff that's happening?" I protest.  
"If Dae wants me to stay then I'm not leaving!" Joselyn firmly states.  
"Do I have to bring in Ajax?" Sandra repeats.  
"Bring it; I can take him!" the daughter of Hades announces proudly.  
Ajax saunters in, as if on cue.  
"Sandra I see you have the new medication that will hopefully heal her ankle. Do you need assistance?"  
I groan, causing Ajax to furrow his brows.  
"Are you okay?" he asks.  
"I hate medication!" I growl stubbornly.  
"Well, too bad so sad! You have to take it t too stop feeling like crap!" the son of Nike says as one would to a child. He then notices Joselyn.  
"You. Out." he states more than asks with a head gesture. Joselyn stamps her foot down.  
"No; I can help!"  
Ajax rolls his eyes before swiftly walking over to her. He places a hand on her shoulder. Josie tries to hit his arm away but he catches her arm with his free hand. She tries to pull away but Ajax uses her momentum to pull her closer. She stumbles causing them to clash together. Ajax flips her over his shoulder, bolts out of the infirmary, I hear the doors close and he triumphantly swaggers back to us.  
"What do they do? Are there any side effects?" I ask with a tear in my eye. The couple looks at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation between them.  
"It's best you don't know" Ajax mysteriously replies. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sandra pouring the pink-purple liquid into my IV bag. I immediately go to pull out my IV, but Ajax is already there, holding it in place.  
"Don't make me tape it..." he warns.  
My head starts to feel fuzzy as the stuff enters my system. My toes, ankles, and calves go numb. Ajax goes to the end of my bed and taps my foot.  
"Not a thing!" he laughs in success "You don't feel a thing!"  
Sandra slaps him.  
"Ajax, don't be rude!" she orders.  
The numb feeling spreads to my thighs and hips. I look at Sandra like a deer in the headlights.  
"It's an Apollo kid invented medicine. We hope that it will heal your ankle. The side effect being that it knocks you out cold."  
I can feel my consciousness slipping like a second time skater on ice.  
"Has this been tested?" I ask, the numbness now spreading down my arms.  
"On you!" Ajax calls. He has moved over to the nurse’s station.  
"Why would you do that?! I can have some Nectar or Ambrosia now without it burning me up! Or some grapes? Hell, I'd drink as many alcoholic drinks as it takes!" I yelled before slipping into a coma-like sleep

Kacey’s POV  
"How are we going to break it to her? Mitchell, he committed suicide!"  
"Has Mr. D been informed?" Mitchell looks at me woefully. He has more time to do grief counseling now that our worst mental case is gone.  
"Yes, I did, then he has locked himself in his room, tried getting him out, I even offered to take him to see his only daughter- but he won't come out!"  
There is a light knock on the door, causing Mitchell and I to jump. Mitchell even drops his donut.  
"Come in," I call.  
The door swings open to reveal Dionysus. He looks horrible; the wine god's clothes are disheveled, he looks (and smells) like he hasn't had a bath for days, and he is holding... A cake?  
"Kacey, the party is about to start. You can bring Mitchell if you want," his voice is monotone.  
"Sure. Do we have to bring anything?" Mitchell asks diplomatically, as if there isn't an emotional time bomb standing at the door holding a birthday cake.  
"I don't care. Just as long as it isn't cake; that's my job." Dionysus states, gesturing to the cake in his hands, then walks away from the door. We follow him.  
"At least he is out," Mitchell whispers.

Sandra’s POV  
I'm in charge of transporting Diana to her surprise party. She thinks that we are going to the infirmary so it will be a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, she still has one IV/ tube left. She can walk due to the medicine we gave her last night. Joselyn helped her get dressed into something other than her hospital gown (Diana was too tired to even realize that it's a formal dress; something you usually don't wear to a check up). Eva, Ammon, and Ajax are here to act as body guards. A lot of people want to question her about what happened and the last thing she needs is to get overwhelmed. Cole is in charge of keeping Aelix away. He is still deemed mentally unstable. I think it's his ADHD mixed with his fatal flaw of being overly attached.  
Right now, I hold Diana's arm whilst Ammon, Ajax, Eva and Joselyn guard us. We blind folded her so she doesn't know where we are going.  
"Why do I have a blindfold on?" she asks as if in a daze.  
"It's to see how well you can walk," I tell her, just before she trips over a tree root. I luckily catch her in time.  
"Sandra, that's the twelfth time she has tripped. Do you want me to piggy-back her?" Ammon whispers, a hint of concern in his voice.  
"Aw, Ammon! That's so nice of you to offer!" Eva chides. Ammon blushes.  
"Hey Diana? Are you tired?" I ask gently. She stops right in her tracks.  
"Yes! Why?"  
"Ammon has offered to piggyback you the rest-" I don't even finish my sentence.  
"Yes! Thank you Ammon... Wherever you are!" Diana smiles gratefully. We giggle and with some effort, Diana gets onto Ammon's back.  
Ajax and Ammon move ahead to speak in hushed tones. Diana adds a bit here and there. Meanwhile, Joselyn texts Cole as she talks with Eva and I.  
"Cole just told me that he had to make a cage in bunker 9 for Aelix because he broke the chains off the wall last night," She reports.  
"How did they break?" Eva asks. Josie types, and then a few seconds later her phone buzzes.  
"He apparently tore them off with sheer force. Last time they get a Hephaestus son to secure the chains "Josie reports.  
"Has he gone mad?" I ask. Joselyn looks up from her phone.  
"Apparently so."  
"Surprise!" Everyone- all 42 people- cheer. Eva, Joselyn, Ammon, Ajax, Kacey, Mitchell, Mr. D, the Dionysus cabin and I are the only ones allowed to the party. Cole is coming later, after he delivers Aelix to someone named Justin Fizzle of the Athena cabin. He is apparently good with partially insane people.  
Near the weapons shed of the training arena is a table with five presents; one from us three girls, one from our boyfriends, one from Kacey and Mitchell, one from her brothers, and one from Dionysus himself.  
"Guys, you didn't have to do this!" Diana exclaims, extremely surprised by her birthday party.  
"Hell yeah we did!" Josie yells. The Dionysus cabin roars in agreement. One of Diana's brothers, after the cabin stops screaming, yells:  
"Dionysus Cabin hug on Diana!" and soon our friend are in the middle of a huge group hug.  
"Watch out for her medical equipment!" I call, using Kacey's bullhorn.  
Dionysus moves swiftly through his crowd of children to get to his daughter.  
"Alrighty, give her some space!" he orders. They all back up a bit, not enough for us to get to her though.  
"I'm so glad that you are alive!" Dionysus cries. He hugs Diana, and I see a tear slip from her eye.  
"I love you," Dionysus tells her.  
"I love you too, Dad," she says back.  
Once three minutes goes by, Dionysus dries his eyes.  
"Okay, enough crying and mopping! This is a DIONYSUS party after all!"  
"YEAH!" cheers his sons.  
I glance over to Kacey; she is looking at Mitchell.  
"He wouldn't...."  
"HIT IT!"  
Suddenly the ground shakes. A DJ appears out of nowhere; a table full of alcoholic drinks appears; a disco ball pops and hangs in midair. The song 'Shots' by LMFAO starts playing loudly, causing the Dionysus cabin to go insane. Kacey tries to get the situation under control by yelling through her bullhorn but she gets drowned out by the music.  
"Where is Diana?" Josie and Eva yell.  
I shrug; I can barely see with the disco ball.  
"SHOTS SHOTS SHOT-SHOT-SHOT SHOTS SHOTS SHOT-SHOT-SHOT SHOTS EVERYBODY!" the Dionysus cabin yells. I see Martin sitting on the bleachers with a horrified expression to his face. I tap Eva and Joselyn to get their attention, point to Martin, and they get the message. We approach him as a group.  
"Where's Diana?" We yell. He points a shaky finger the circle of Dionysus children. We all look in the line of his finger to find a horrible sight; Ugene is tying her up to a chair while some others are force-feeding her alcoholic drinks. Dionysus doesn't even care!  
"We have to get her!" Josie yells. I nod in agreement; Diana is getting poor treatment on her birthday! As soon as we step into the circle, a group of five strong boys push us out. Suddenly, we get pulled apart. I squint to see who tore me from my friends; it's one of Diana's brothers. He pushes me against the bleachers, straddles me in a standing position. He holds my arms over my head.  
"THE LADIES LOVE US, WHEN WE POUR SHOTS! THEY NEED AN EXCUSE, TO SUCK OUR COCKS!!!!" the guy sings/yells the words while swaying his hips over mine. I take this opportunity to kick him in the manly part he yelled for a willing lady to suck. The guy collapses to the floor, holding his special spot. I quickly find Evaline in a similar predicament. I don't hesitate to clop him upside the head with, ironically, my first aid kit. He falls to the ground, apparently seeing stars.  
"Thanks," Eva looks at me, violation and disgust plastered on her face.  
"No problem; let's find Josie!" I yell over the music. Eva nods, still not over what just happened.  
"BOTTOMS UP; LET'S GO ROUND TWO!"  
The Dionysus cabin yells as the god of wine makes more appear. Suddenly, they all look at us.  
"IF YOU AIN'T GETTING DRUNK GET YOUR BUTTS OUT THE CLUB! IF YOU AIN'T TAKING SHOTS GET YOUR BUTTS OUT THE CLUB! IF YOU AIN'T HERE TO PARTY GET YOUR BUTTS OUT THE CLUB!"  
The group of Dionysus children pick us up and literally throws us out the door. We land with a hard THUMP on the ground; just a few feet away from us are Ammon, Ajax, Kacey, Mitchell, and Martin.  
"Everyone alright?" I call. Martin, Ammon, Ajax, Mitchell, Josie and Eva all nod.  
"Kacey, you alright?" I call. Mitch helps her up as she says:  
"Physically, I'm good. Mentally, I'm pissed. Things are getting out of hand; I'm getting Chiron."  
With that, she trots off.  
"What about Diana?" Josie calls, but Kacey is too far away to hear.  
"Someone will have to detoxicate her. We can't really do anything right now."  
When Chiron finally comes to Diana's rescue, 75% of her brothers are passed out wasted. We spot Diana- Ugene has her tied down to a chair, and he is currently yelling at her.  
"How are you NOT drunk off your ass?! We gave you TWENTY full 65% alcohol wine!"  
"I know," she stress firmly, no slurring "And I really have to pee, so can you let me go?"  
"NO! I will get you drunk!" he screeches before shoving another bottle to her mouth. Chiron intervenes.  
"What do you think you are doing? Where is Dionysus?" Chiron's voice echoes through the arena. The speakers are faintly playing 'Sorry for Party Rocking'. Ugene gives Chiron a murderous glare.  
"None of your business horse-dude," he grumbles, tilting the bottle up so its contents go into Dae's mouth.  
"Actually, it is. That's one of MY campers who are supposed to be getting better!" Chiron looks around "And why are you partying? Your brother Greg Allchoo just committed suicide!"  
Diana spits out the bottle, it crashes to smithereens on the ground, and she looks like she is going to cry.  
"WHAT?!"  
Chiron addresses her.  
"You didn't know that?" he exclaims.  
"No!" Dae screeches, her eyes watering but she keeps them hostage in her eyes. She struggles against the ropes holding her down.  
"Ugene, get me out of this freaking chair right now before I find a way to hurt you with it!" she angrily yells at him. Ugene thinks about it.  
"No, I like seeing you struggle," he decides. In one fluid motion, I take out my bow and an arrow, aim for the section that all the rope meets up, aim, and fire. The triumphant sound of ropes snapping is heard and they all fall to the ground. Diana leaps away from her chair, backhands Ugene in the face, then looks at Chiron with over flowing eyes.  
"Do you know why he did that?" She asks her voice raw with pain.  
"A note was stapled to his chest for you to look under his pillow. I went there and found this;" Chiron holds up a note and clears his throat.  
"Dear my favorite (and only) sister,  
if you are reading this, it means my sacrifice worked. Don't get mad; I wanted to die. You probably wonder why. Like you, I am cursed- except yours is a tad worse, being the anchor and all...  
While you had injections of Dionysus blood, I got injections of Ares blood. His plan was to make me some sort of super-soldier-demigod. That didn't work out too well. Instead of getting his strength and power, I got mood swings and a crave for bloodshed. Even if it is my own family's blood.  
You probably have heard by now that for ten months, I was kidnapped and that I don't remember anything that happened. But I do.  
Before I was kidnapped, I wasn't the creepy, psychotic, tried-to-kill-you brother. I was a loving, caring, noble guy whom people looked up to. Sort of like Percy Jackson.  
When I got abducted, I was strapped down to a chair then got 5 injections of Ares essence. It affected my heart, head, neck, legs, and arms. For the first 5 months, my body was fighting his essence, and each day I wanted Hades to take my soul then and there. The last 5 months my body accepted the blood, I became bipolar at the switch of a panel Ares has, and got the full effects of the curse.  
In case you are wondering, the Curse is that if you don't obey, Ares will control you and send shocks through your system. Well, for everyone except you. You were the anchor, and it cost them not being able to control you. Also, they couldn't hurt you as long as the Curse was in effect. But now it's broken. I warn you sister: Patrick and Ares are still out there.  
Love Greg.  
PS Ugene helped me do a soul trade with Hades, my life for yours. The non-psychopath Greg loved you dearly." Chiron stops reading.  
By now, all us girls, the conscious sons of Dionysus and Ammon are all crying. Through all this crying, Diana suddenly straightens up. Her fists clench, as does her jaw.  
"Chiron, could you read the last part of the note please?" she demands. I see that fire in her eyes grow bigger than it was before.  
"PS Ugene helped me do a soul trade with Hades, my life for yours. The non-psychopath Greg loved you dearly." he reads.  
The ground shakes, the DJ, disco ball, and empty beer bottles disappear.  
"Dionysus...?" Chiron drawls. He sounds nervous.  
"Don't look at me!" Dionysus defensively tells him.  
"Ugene, you little bastard! How could you do that?!" Diana yells. All eyes shoot to Diana. Ugene calmly straightens up.  
"He wanted to die, Diana. I just so happened to keep him alive until you died. HE decided you had more worth than himself and saved you. You should be grateful!"  
Diana along with the rest of us gawk at him. Diana stumps up to Joselyn, grabs her belt, pulls it put so that it transforms into a whip. She walks over to her brother and whips him.  
"THAT'S NO EXCUSE TO GET HIM TO KILL HIMSELF!!!" she screams whilst whipping him. Eva and I grab her by the arms and restrain her.  
"Diana, calm down! Whipping him won't change things," Eva calmly says. I look at Ugene to notice that he is in the fetal position.  
"Whip me again..." Ugene commands as though he is high.  
"He wants it, let me go!" Diana venomously commands through clenched teeth. I lean over to Eva.  
"I'm going to talk to Josie; can you hold her down?" I whisper. She nods. When I approach Josie, she seems calm which is weird for her, given the situation. She disdainfully shoves some ambrosia into his mouth (Chiron's orders).  
"Can you shadow-travel Diana to the infirmary?" we look at her and I notice something: she isn't attached to the tubes that keep her calm/healthy. Josie notices this as well.  
"I can put it in if you want to rest," Josie offers. I nod; Joselyn runs over to Diana and Eva.

Josie’s POV  
I run up to Diana cheerfully. I get there just in time; she breaks free from Eva's grasp, runs ahead blindly and crashes into me. We both tumble to the ground. I roll over so that I have Diana pinned.  
"Sandra, Eva, Ammon- shadow me!"  
They all form a line, casting a shadow over us. Using their shadows, I travel Diana and myself to the infirmary.  
As soon as we get there, Diana tries to run away. I motion for one of the Apollo kids to stop her whilst I run after her. Diana doesn't notice until the last second and stops dead in her tracks. She collapses to the ground shaking and sobbing.  
"I didn't mean to do it..." she cries. I sigh as I pick the poor girl up into my arms.  
I need to distract her from Greg, I think. I place her on a nearby bed after thanking the Apollo kid.  
"Didn't Ugene say something about you drinking 20 bottles of beer? Can you explain to me how you don't have alcohol poisoning?!"  
"I am apparently immune to alcohol too. It healed me somehow; I don't have any bruises on my torso," She tells me through sniffles.  
I realize I need to get a new IV bag.  
"You stay here; I will be right back." I calmly tell her. Luckily her bed is near the nurses’ station so I don't have to leave her alone for long. When I return, she is sobbing into the pillow. I lightly rub her back.  
"Diana honey, you do know why you were brought here right?"  
"You are going to stick that thing in my arm." she whimpers. I nod sympathetically. I expected her to bolt or attack, or even get pissed off, but Diana doesn't. She sighs, wipes the tears from her eyes and extends her left arm out.  
"Just do it," she whispers.  
I don't know why but I start tearing up. Is it because of the defeat in her voice? The fact that Diana isn't standing up against what she hates? Or is it because of all the events that have happened forced me to stay strong for so long that all just have caught up emotionally?  
Fighting the tears I carefully stick the IV into her arm.  
Just as I turn around to leave (Diana fell asleep so I am leaving her with Sam), I feel a buzz in my pocket. It has been going off all day. I take it out to see that The Underworld App has an unread notification:  
Greg Ingram Allchoo- Suicide/Sacrifice- June 19th-Fields of Asphodel


	20. Dance and Disappearance

Chapter 20- Dance and Disappearance

Diana’s POV

One month; that's how long I have been kept cooped up in the infirmary for observation and because of the Emergency IV. I've had a brother come in each day-yesterday Derrek and I played cards-along with friends. Even Cole, Ajax, and Ammon have come to visit me!  
There have been some junior Apollo kids who are learning to do the basics practicing on me (checking vitals, changing bandages, and check-up type stuff). Sometimes Sandra would get Josie and Eva to come and play musical instruments for the whole infirmary.  
After about 20 days, I let Ugene come and see me. It was a short visit, due to the fact Sandra had to go check on something, leaving the nurse's station open. If Cole hadn't shown up and kicked Ugene's ass, I probably would be out cold letting Ugene do whatever he wants with me. Martin came in a few times with his new friend, Mark, but I don't know much about him. Mark would usually just drop Martin off.  
Although I love all these people coming in to see me (minus Ugene) there is one person whom I have been itching to see; Aelix. He wasn't allowed to come see me. But he is coming today.  
When I wake up, it is 9 am. Sandra enters as per usual with a cart of food. She hands me a chocolate chip pancake, a grin on her face from ear to ear.  
"What are you smiling about?" I ask.  
"Aelix is coming in today! And..." she does a drum roll on the mattress. "You are cleared to leave the infirmary! I am here to take out the Emergency IV!"  
That is good news! They only kept me under surveillance because they were afraid I might go try to kill myself again. There have been some down days, but Mitchell and Kacey counseled me during those times. They had the Emergency IV put in just in case I started getting suicidal or if I was too stressed or overwhelmed. But due to that counselling, I no longer wish to die. There is a reason I have been put on this earth, and there is a reason the Fates brought me back. I just need to find it.  
I only shed a single tear when Sandra takes out the IV. Sandra leaves with the machine and when she comes back, she isn't alone. As soon as Aelix locates which bed I'm in, he dashes across the infirmary to my bedside. I swing my legs over the bed so I am sitting on the edge. Aelix firmly grabs my waist and I reach up for his neck and pull him in for a kiss. It is just a simple peck but there is a lot of meaning behind it. When we part, he stands me up, holding me close. I don't realize he is crying until I feel a drop of moisture on my forehead.  
"Thank the gods," he whispers, whilst pulling me closer. "Don't ever do that to me-to any of us- again!"  
He kissed my forehead.  
"I've missed you," he whispers.  
"I missed you too," I whisper back.  
Aelix releases me and turns to Sandra, drying his eyes.  
"Sandra, is it okay if we go for a walk?" Aelix asks hopefully.  
"I will allow it," Sandra looks hesitant "but just a warning; she might get swarmed by people."  
I beam at Sandra and Aelix. Sandra gives me pants to go along with the hospital gown, not wanting anyone to see my underwear. I grab Aelix's hand and tow him out of the infirmary. The last time I was out was for my birthday, and then for Greg's funeral.  
At the door Aelix stops, causing me to stop as well. He pulls my hair out of my bun, letting it fall down in messy curls which just tickle the small of my back. He pulls me close, ruffles my hair, and smiles down at me. We make eye contact right before he kisses me. Passionately.  
"I've missed this," Aelix whispers on my lips.

Just as Sandra predicted, as soon as we are outside, we get swarmed by campers, centaurs, and satyrs alike. A good portion of them feel the need to get up close. They are abuzz with questions.  
"How are you feeling?"  
"Are the rumors true? That you conned Hades into letting you live?"  
"Who are you REALLY?"  
"Why did you commit suicide?"  
All these people getting up close and personal, swarming me, bombarding me with questions, and drawing this much attention is really overwhelming. The world begins to become tipsy, my lungs not taking in enough air, my skin warm, and my blood cold. I can't help it; I collapse to the ground, crying. Aelix looks worried.  
"HEY!" he yells angrily. Everyone shuts up. Aelix helps me stand, and after finding out that I'm not ready for walking, puts me up in a piggyback position. I breathe in his scent, lavender and a pinch of strawberry axe; it helps me relax a bit.  
"Leave her alone; you're all scaring her!" Aelix harshly informs them. I feel him start to run. I nuzzle my nose into his shirt.  
"Are you okay?" he asks. I shake my head.  
"What's wrong?" he asks gently.  
"P-panic attack," I stutter. Aelix stops.  
"No, you are just having an asthma attack," he says. "All you need to do is hold your breath."  
I look at him. My breathing slows, and I feel normal again.  
"See? Now, how about we go on a picnic?"  
I look at him with excitement.  
"Really?"  
"Corny, I know."  
I look down at my attire.  
"If this is our first date, I don't want to be wearing a hospital gown," I have a small smile creeping upon my lips and heat rising to my cheeks.  
"You're so cute when you blush," he admits. Aelix helps me walk to my cabin. When we get there, Derrek, Martin, and another guy rush over.  
"Diana!" they cheer.  
"Do you need anything?" Derrek asks.  
"Clothes," Aelix replies for me.  
I feel someone body check me from the side, and soon realize that it's Martin. Derrek soon joins, giving me a kiss on the cheek.  
"I missed you guys, too," I giggle. Derrek leads me over to his bunk, gently forces me to sit down, and looks me straight in the eyes. Derrek turns my wrist so that it is facing the ceiling.  
"Why did you...you know..." his voice sounds pained.  
"To protect my friends, and my family. To protect everyone." I truthfully tell him. Derrek looks at the bandage.  
"May I...look at it?" he asks cautiously.  
Martin and his friend sit behind me and start to do my hair. I wince as Derrek takes the bandage off. He traces his finger along the stitch work, being careful not to ruin it or hurt me. I notice that there is still a tinge of color from the old marks.  
"Sandra and Will had their work cut out for them," Derrek whispers in amazement.  
Looking over at Aelix, I see he looks perplexed.  
"Your clothes aren't there..."  
I look at Derrek.  
"They disappeared after the Fortress incident," he informs us.  
"How about we get Eva, Sandra, and Josie to get you some clothes?" Aelix suggests. He goes to leave.  
"You boys take care of her while I am gone," he calls.  
A snicker emits from the bathroom.  
"Oh, I'll take care of her..." a creepy voice says from where the snicker was. Ugene awkwardly glides around the corner, walks over, and crosses his arms across his chest. He glares at us with his poison green eyes. Martin taps my shoulder in a panic.  
"Shut up Martin," Ugene sneers.  
"He didn't say anything; he CAN'T say anything!" I defend my full younger brother.  
"I know that- I'm his brother" Ugene nonchalantly informs me, as if not having a voice isn't a big handicap. He studies me.  
"You are Diana, yes?"  
I nod.  
"I believe we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Ugene Summers, your full brother and almost twin."  
I glare at him. "What do you mean 'almost'?"  
Ugene wickedly grins. "I am exactly one year younger than you," he proclaims.  
"How is that almost?"  
Ugene doesn't reply.  
"Why are you here at Camp Half-Blood?" I question, rising to my feet.  
"I came with Martin to collect what is ours; you, our long lost sister!" Ugene walks over so that he stands right in front of me. He is a little over six feet tall. He places a hand on my face, stroking my cheek. I flinch at his cold touch and return to my sitting position.  
Urgent smirks. "Now why would mom give up such a beautiful thing as you?"  
I hope that is a rhetorical question. I swiftly stand back up and punch Ugene in the jaw.  
"Touch me without my permission again and I will stick a dagger right up your-" I growl through my teeth, but the touch of Derrek's hand in mine calms me down a bit. Ugene doesn't look offended; he even laughs!  
Ugene glances down at my current attire, squats down, and lifts up the bottom a little bit. I close my legs a bit, even though I have pants on, causing Ugene to smirk.  
"What's this?" Ugene inquires. "Hope you got the balloons I sent you."  
Ugene shoves me so that I fall back onto the bed. He scans us like a lion looking at helpless deer, trying to decide who to eat first. His glare lands on Derrek.  
"Deciding not to play the protective brother because you know I can kick your ass?!"  
That's it! In a matter of seconds I have Ugene pinned to the ground, his nose bloody. Ugene is a dick who needs to be taught a lesson. Derrek shrugs with a smirk.  
"I think she can take care of herself."  
Just then, Eva, Josie, Sandra, and Aelix enter the cabin. I get off of Ugene so that Derrek, Martin, and Martin's friend can deal with him. They drag a dazed Ugene into the back of the cabin. Josie hugs me tight and gives me a high five when we part.  
"You showed that boy his place!" Josie congratulates. Eva draws my attention to a medium sized suitcase.  
"We ended up buying you a whole new wardrobe. We made it mostly for camp and training," she tells me. I start to object but Joselyn silences me.  
"Don't worry about the cost," she says, as she sticks her hand out in front of her with her palm up. Black sparks dance on her palm and turn into money. I guess there to be thousands of dollars on her palm. Joselyn smiles deviously before making the money disappear.  
"I got you a Camp Half Blood shirt!" Aelix announces proudly. "Now let's go on our picnic!"  
I giggle.  
"I kind of want to change first," I tell him.  
Aelix smiles. "I think you look beautiful in anything," he tells me. His tone implies that he is being corny but his eyes tell me that he truly means it. I pout and cross my arms like a displeased little kid.  
"But I hate hospital gowns!" I pout even bigger. The girls laugh at us.  
"Fine. I'll be back in about half an hour," Aelix sighs with a smile. He pulls me in for a kiss.  
"Aww!" the girls mock us.  
Aelix lets go of me and turns to them. He snaps his fingers in a triangle, craning his neck and slouching slightly. "You have to share!" he sassily remarks before flipping is black curly locks and storming out.  
"He is so weird," Josie gets out between laughs. We stop laughing and get serious. I look at the suitcase.  
"What to wear, what to wear..." I mutter.  
"I call doing make up!" Josie calls.  
"I call doing hair," Eva calls.  
"I call giving you all some music!" Sandra calls, already pulling out her clarinet. We all chuckle, and Sandra looks at us oddly.  
"Why are you laughing?"

Fifteen outfits, multiple hair and makeup attempts, and 13 One Direction songs on the clarinet later, I am ready for my first official date. I know, going on your first date when you are 17 years old is weird in our world, but no one at any of the 17 schools I attended wanted to go out with the new dyslexic kid.  
The winning outfit is a simple red dress. The dress has short sleeves, is tighter up top than at the bottom, and has a triangle cut out near the chest. It tickles my calf. It comes with small red pumps. Eva- after a brief debate with the girls- decides to do a mermaid braid in my hair.  
What is it with people and braiding my hair?  
The girls step back to marvel at what they have done.  
"You look beautiful!" Sandra exclaims, as if dazed. They pull out their phones.  
"Mind of we take a few pictures?" Josie asks. I sigh and shrug.  
"What do you want me to do?"  
At this point, Aelix enters the cabin. He does a double take, looking at me as if I am an angel, smiling the whole time. He rushes over, grabs my waist and kisses me on the mouth. We both end up smiling like idiots.  
"You two are so adorable!" Joselyn gawks, pulling out of our trance. The girls get Aelix and I to pose as if it were for prom photos. They get Aelix to pick me up by surprise and take a picture of my oh-so-attractive face. We also get one where we are re-enacting the slipper scene from Cinderella.  
"So now you're Cinderella? Just decide on a princess and stick to it!" Aelix jokes.  
After that, Aelix pulls out a blindfold, ties it around my eyes, throws me over his shoulder, and runs.  
"Aelix, where are we going?" I manage to ask through giggles. He doesn't answer but soon places me gently down on a soft surface. There is a sweet aroma emitting from something in front of me.  
"May I take off the blindfold now?"  
I jump as arms wrap around me but then relax knowing it's Aelix.  
"I have a question for you," my boyfriend states before taking off my blindfold. I gasp at the beauty. The red and white checkered blanket we are sitting on is in a meadow of flowers. There are roses, tulips, daffodils, and many other species of flower that it would take a child of Demeter to name them all! The picnic is really corny. The basket is elaborately woven from a super refined material. It has a double top that opens on either side.  
"What's your question?"  
Aelix kisses me on the cheek, crawls over to the basket, opens it, pulls out some perfectly wrapped sandwiches and offers one to me.  
"Want a sandwich?" he asks, cocking an eyebrow.  
"Was that your big question?" I giggle. "And yes I would love to have something other than grape jello, popsicles, and liquid."  
I snatch the sandwich away from him, unwrap it in a matter of seconds, and take a big bite. Peanut butter and strawberry jam attack my taste buds.  
"No, that wasn't the question," Aelix chuckles. He takes a big, nervous breath. "So next week camp is having a dance to celebrate Annabeth and Percy's children. It's sort of like prom for demigods," he takes a deep breath, not looking at my face. He takes my hands in his, looks me in the eyes deeply, and....laughs.  
"I'm sorry, I can't take you seriously with your peanut butter and jam facial accessories," he grabs a napkin and wipes the food from my face.  
"Diana. Agatha. Summers...will you be my date?" he slowly asks. I can hear how nervous he is. I do the only thing I can; nod.  
"Yes! Yes, of course!"  
Aelix sighs in relief then tackles me so that I am lying on the blanket, his body on top of mine. Aelix starts kissing me, and I mirror his movements. He starts out slow, lingering, before adding tongue. What else can I say but that we made out for ten minutes.  
Aelix's phone buzzes twice. He reads the text, and then smiles.  
"What is it?" I prop myself up on my elbows.  
"Ammon just texted me saying that Eva was surprised at his method for asking her to the dance," he chuckles.  
"What was the method?"  
"Ammon went swimming with Eva and he accidentally got caught in some seaweed. Eva went looking for him only to find him almost dead. She took him to the shore and did CPR. He asked her after coughing up some water."

Time Jump-> 3 days before the dance  
The dance is only a few days away. Although my ankle and my arm are healed for the most part, I see Sandra for a check up and in some cases restitching. Surprisingly no one has asked me to tell them my reasons for sacrificing myself, even though I had only known them for a few weeks.  
The thing is, I never felt safe at home. I got bullied a lot due to my ADHD and dyslexia, and when I did make friends they usually turned into a monster that only I could see-them labeling me as schizophrenic- and my mother (aunt) and her boyfriend would abuse me when I got home. Camp Half Blood gave me the home I never had with people who are similar to me. Eva taught me that I can be smart AND have ADHD/Dyslexia. Josie taught me that I am capable of being tough. Sandra taught me that I can shine as bright as the sun. Kacey taught me that I shouldn't give a horse's ass about what others think. And Aelix taught me that even damaged little Diana Agatha Summers/Envis can be loved, as well as put back together. Up there on the balcony I had the power to stop Ares and I did. I am also alive because of Greg, which is a debt I will never repay.  
Anyway, right now I am at the one place I hate more than the infirmary; the Aphrodite cabin. I am here to be fitted for a dress. Sandra, Eva, and Josie are here too. Josie isn't very thrilled to be here either. One girl suggested for her to wear pink, and Josie had a tantrum. I am sitting on Brittany's bed, observing and giving input on my friend’s dresses. The Aphrodite kids have been given special orders not to stress me out; hence my current activity. So far, Eva is the only one who has found a dress to her liking. She looks beautiful in her fading up blue dress. It reaches her mid-calf and fades from a royal blue at the bottom to white at the top. The fabric stops just above her bust, and there it is replaced by a very fine lace. The dress is tighter on top but slowly gets more flowy on the way down. Sandra is having trouble deciding between a pale pink sparkly dress that has crossed straps in the back and a plain rose pink dress that has a spiral of jewels up the dress. They both lick her ankles. Joselyn is arguing with an Aphrodite kid about her dress. Josie wants to wear converse with but the Aphrodite kid wants her to wear heels.  
While laughing at the scene in front of me I feel a tap on my shoulder.  
"Okay sweet pea, it's your turn!" Brittany's thick Texan accent rings in my ears. "Just so you know Kacey told us not to stress you out too badly"- I glare at her -" so I'm going to show you some designs and you can choose from there. Okey dokey?"  
I nod my head in response. Nice to know that Kacey's looking out for me.  
Brittany reaches into a suitcase and pulls out a sketchbook. She shows me about 32 mediocre dresses, none of them appealing. Most of them have ruffles, a lot of leopard print, and are really skimpy. About 90% of them are strapless or have a low dipping back that would reveal all of my scars.  
"I don't see any that I like," I tell her straight up.  
"Hold on girly, there is one more."  
Brittany flips a few pages, opening up to a dress design that makes my jaw hit the floor. She designed the perfect dress. It is a royal purple and will go just past my knees. It has a do-up corset in the back, causing the torso area to be tight but breathable, and it fans out at the hips into pleats. It comes with a shawl to wear over my upper back. Brittany even planned out the accessories. There is a bracelet that is like a cuff but looks like vines wrapping around my arm, spreading out on my hand with one vine that twirls around my middle finger creating a ring. The shoes are pumps that match the dress. I smile gleefully.  
"It's beautiful," I whisper, still mesmerized. Britt giggles.  
"I knew it; I'm a genius!" she squeals.  
Joselyn, whom has only heard that part of the conversation, doesn't even try to hide her snort. Britt glares but doesn't say anything back for a few seconds. She purses her lips.  
"I have something for you as well, Jacqueline."  
Joselyn crosses her arms.  
"The name is Joselyn, and bring it. Nothing has pleased me yet!"  
Britt drags Joselyn to the back closet. When I turn to look at Eva and Sandra, I am greeted by a mob of Aphrodite kids. One of them is only three inches away from my face.  
"Can we see them?" a few of them ask in unison. Without any response or consent, the guy grabs my right arm, holds it out for everyone to see, and takes the bandage off. They all lean in closer to see.  
"Look! There's a loose thread!" one of them points out.  
"Stop!" I raspingly cry out. The guy holding my arm tugs hard on the string.  
"STOP!" I yell, drawing the attention of everyone in my immediate surroundings. It's too late. A stinging sensation burns my arm and blood starts pouring out of the giant gash that used to be my marks. The Aphrodite kids back away in horror. I can only stare at my arm. My blood isn't as deep of a red as other demigods, due to the extra ichor in it, so mine is almost an orange pigment. The only thing I can see is the blood running down my arm, onto the bed sheet and the floor. I feel lightheaded. I hear Joselyn use some colorful words and arms wrap around me. I see a needle and thread and sew my arm up; I hear someone saying my name. I'm too much in shock to respond. I feel my body being carried to the bathroom; coldness runs down my arm; something soft and warm gets wrapped around it.  
"Is she still conscious?" I hear Eva ask. A blurry figure that resembles Josie appears in my vision.  
"Barely," she replies.  
"Let's bring her to a bed near a window," I hear Sandra suggest.  
I hear a new voice, male, offer his help. The girls take the assistance, and the guy brings me over to a bed. I feel someone squeeze my hand.  
"Diana, you are in shock," I hear Eva say, her melodious voice helping a bit. "Diana, try to stay conscious. Focus on my voice. Your arm is all cleaned up now. If it hurts Sandra can give you some ambrosia or nectar, okay?"  
I feel a blanket being placed over me. I roll onto my left side so that I am facing outward. Everyone's facial features de-blob. Eva smiles in satisfaction. Sandra sighs in relief. Joselyn hugs this big tough guy whom looks very familiar.  
"I feel nauseous," I weakly say.  
"At least you didn't faint!" Sandra cheerily points out. The Aphrodite boys try to come near me but Josie snaps out her whip. It hits the air just in front of their stomachs.  
"Leave her alone," she not-so-nicely orders. They scramble away in fear.  
"Wuss!" she calls after them before turning back to me. Josie approaches the bed and takes a seat.  
"So Dae, I heard you picked out a dress?" she cheerily switches the subject. As if she didn't just scare off some Aphrodite kids.  
Joselyn squeals in delight at the dress. Sandra has the same reaction as Joselyn; Eva beams.  
Suddenly an Aphrodite boy comes barreling down the hall. Joselyn begins to stand, her hand flying to her belt, but Eva and Sandra stop her. The boy stops just in front of the bed, checks out the scene, and eyes each of us.  
"Diana and Eva are requested to go train, if they have their dresses picked out. Cole wants Diana to pick out a new weapon."  
I look at Eva, confused.  
"Your dagger got destroyed at the fortress," she states matter-of-factly.

Cole has someone pinned to the ground, spear at the throat, a sword just a few meters away. He is wearing a sweat covered muscle shirt and his black hair is wet and clings to his face. Around them is a circle of demigods around my age. Eva, now 17, is going to be in the same class as me. Looking for familiar faces, I see Ugene with a group of Ares kids laughing. I recognize all of the Ares kids as the willing followers that we fought at the fortress. The door slams shut, announcing our entry, and everyone looks at us.  
"Hello girls and welcome to intermediate combat," Cole gets off of the guy under him.  
"Sparring; you all know the drill," he calls. The class gets into groups based off of weapons. Cole hugs us when he approaches.  
"Dae, I understand you need a weapon. Eva, you may join a group." he says once we part.  
Eva walks confidently over to Ugene's group whilst unsheathing her sword. Cole leads me toward the weapon shed.  
"Since Flag Friday is coming up, and you have been in the infirmary for a while, you will be doing mostly combat and strength training until then," Cole informs me as he struggles with the weapon shed keys.  
Once he has opened the door, Cole says, "You can go in and pick one out yourself. If you pick a weapon that is shooting or throwing, you may pick out a close combat weapon as well."  
The sheds looks old; the paint is peeling away, there are some insect-made holes, and the smell of dust and mold is prominent, mixed with whatever they use to sharpen and clean the weapons.  
There is a mop and bucket in the corner; bugs living on top of the brown water, and a spider living in the mop's tentacles. The few windows in the shed let in enough light for me to see the r rows upon rows of weapons. I walk through the first row; past the axes, spears, and long swords. The archery supplies are in the back of the shed. I remember taking archery in gym class. It was the only thing in gym I was good at back then.  
I grab a mini long bow as long as my torso and look at the quivers. The one quiver that stands out to me is one labelled 'refill'. Reading the description, it says:  
'This quiver was blessed by Artemis to automatically refill itself.'  
It has intricate vine designs on it and fits comfortably when I put it on. Turns out, the bow is magical and can fold up into its grip. It fits in the quiver so I tuck it in there.  
Thinking back to what Cole said, I head towards the close range weapons. I see some wicked looking sickles that are taller than me.  
Last resort, I think.  
I don't want the average sword, if I get a sword. I don't like spears or axes. I am paranoid about daggers. I look at all of the medium sized swords, picking them up and practicing unsheathing them. I find one labelled the Wakizashi. It is super light weight, is 41cm long (as said on the label), has a black diamond-engraved hilt, and a matching sheath. I strap the sheath onto my hip.  
When I walk out of the weapons shed, everyone stares at me. Some guys whistle and hoot causing heat to spread to my cheeks. Cole informs me that I may join a group before he goes off to yell at his class to get to work. I confidently march over to where Eva has two Ares kids knocked out, the other two laughing at how Eva has Ugene pinned.  
"Seventh time's a charm," he hisses. "Rematch?"  
Eva rolls her eyes then proceeds to punch him across the face.  
"What the hell? I thought you were the non-violent type!" Ugene spits at her, earning another smack across the face.  
"The first one was for being a..." she struggles for the word.  
"Ass?" I suggest. They all look at me. "Dick?"  
"Woah..." Ugene and the two conscious sons of Ares checks me out. Eva glares at them.  
One of the Ares kids slides to my side, putting an arm around me.  
"I like chicks that put up a fight," he whispers, winking at me. I take his arm and flip him. Unfortunately I let go accidentally, not having the ability to lift him, and he flops to the ground, his head hitting the ground. His brother runs over to help, but I trip him on my way to stand near Eva and Ugene. He lands on his brother.  
"Sorry," I call, emitting a laugh from Ugene.  
"Are you going to say 'sorry' to all of your victims?" he mocks. I look at Eva.  
"May I?"  
"Be my guest; he is your brother," she says whilst getting off of Ugene. I pounce on him.  
"What are you going to do to me?" Ugene growls, but not in a mean or horrid manner.  
"Sorry," I say, before kneeing him in the crotch.

The Next Day  
Today I am getting some sort of potion to help me in battle. Cole assured me that it doesn't have to be injected, so I'm not too worried. I stand off to the side with Eva whilst Cole teaches the class something. Cole has appointed Eva to privately train me since she has been going to camp since she was six. Today she is teaching me blocking with my Wakizashi. I am glad Eva is teaching me instead of Ugene. Eva doesn't laugh when I fall- an ongoing occurrence- whereas Ugene would laugh and take advantage of the situation.  
The four Ares kids from yesterday are in the infirmary getting checked for concussions and such, so Ugene didn't come to Combat class.  
I curse as I fall to the ground for the millionth time today. I groan in frustration. Eva offers me her hand.  
"It's okay; get Wakizashi and we'll try again."  
I like how no matter how many times I fall Eva doesn't get frustrated with me.  
I pick my sword up and get into the ready position. Eva advances, arching her sword by means of slicing my stomach. I knock her sword away from my stomach, then spin around to strike at her. She blocks the blow successfully, but I then draw a 'C' in the air, and lightly tap her side. She goes to stab my belly button but I am quick to meet her sword. With a swiveling motion I knock the sword from her grasp. It lands near the wall, two meters away.  
"Nice! Wonderful job, you even dabbled into the next lesson; disarming. How about we call it quits after you drink that potion?"  
I agree. I have been training for six hours and it is one p,. Aelix brought me a sandwich at lunch time. I was shooting then and accidentally nipped his sweater hood!  
After three hours of blocking and disarming techniques, dummy practice, as well as weaponless self defense, Cole finally comes over with a vial. The potion is yellow, and looks like the liquid from neon signs.  
"Cole... what is that?" I cautiously ask.  
"It's a Poción," he pauses, his face scrunching up a bit in concentration. "Sorry I mean it's the potion that will help with your flexibilidad."  
"Flexibility?" I suggest. Cole nods sheepishly. "How will that help me in battle? I ask.  
Cole looks at Eva.  
"Well," Eva steps in "If someone were to attack you-"  
Just then, Cole grabs Eva's sword and swings it at Eva. She goes down into the splits, avoiding being sliced in two.  
"You can dodge it," she finishes. Eva rolls out of the splits, kicks Cole's hand and retrieves her sword.  
"So all I have to do is chug down this liquid and I will be super flexible?" I clarify. Cole hands me the vial.  
"Fair warning; it tastes awful."  
He is right; as soon as it hits my taste buds I want to gag. Even though I down it like a shot, I'm left with the taste of vomit after the potion makes its way down my throat.  
"May I have some water?" I ask.  
Just then a conch horn resounds signaling supper time. We collect our stuff and leave the training area.

Day of the Dance  
The Dionysus cabin is really noisy when I come back from strength training with Ajax. All of the older guys are in tuxes, fooling around with ties, whilst the younger ones are wearing polo shirts and khakis. When I set my quiver on its hook and my sword on its ledge, everyone goes quiet. I hear footsteps approach then a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see 68 green eyes staring at me. The person who tapped me was Derrek.  
"We would like to apologize about what we did on your birthday and would like to appoint you head of our cabin with myself as second in command."  
Despite the tension between me and my brothers, I can't help but feel it disappear.  
"Aw, you guys!" I hug Derrek and gesture for everyone else to join. They do, and I am surrounded by the smell of alcohol, drugs, and a crap load of Axe.  
I swear I'm going to develop asthma from them, I think.  
Once the group parts, Martin shyly approaches me. In his hand is a tie.  
"Hey Martin. What's up?" I casually ask. He holds up the tie and gestures to his neck.  
"Did you need helping putting on your tie?" I ask. Martin nods.  
"So, do you have a date?" I ask to make conversation while doing up his tie. He nods.  
"May I meet your date?" I ask before securing his tie. He nods.  
"HEY! SHE'S DOING TIES!" someone yells. Soon I have a line of brothers who want me to do up their ties. Like the good person I am, I do all 27 ties. By the time I finish, it is 5:40pm. The dance starts at 6:30.  
I sprint to the Aphrodite cabin to get my dress. A girl is standing outside the door with a clipboard. She has choppy brown hair that has random braids in it. She has dark skin. Her name tag says 'Piper'.  
"Hi I'm Piper," the girl says.  
"I'm here to pick up a dress," I state. She looks up from her clipboard.  
"Name?"  
"Diana Summers, daughter of Dionysus."  
Piper flips a few pages.  
"You're that girl who helped save Dionysus, right?"  
I nod.  
"Jason told me about you. He heard it from Leo, who over heard it from his brother Cole, who was talking to his girlfriend," she stops her finger halfway down the page. She makes a check mark. "BRITTANY, ORDER FOR DIANA SUMMERS!"

Eva’s POV  
Annabeth and Percy are occupying the Poseidon cabin so I'm hanging out with Diana in her Cabin. Aelix and Ammon are going to come and escort us to the dance, Ammon as my boyfriend. It's weird to refer to him as that now- we've been friends for years.  
I came to Camp Half-Blood first. My uncle and I were in a restaurant for my sixth birthday. We were having a really nice supper until a monster came and attacked. Percy and Annabeth were luckily also dining at the restaurant. They defeated it, and then brought me to camp. I was put into the Hermes cabin until I was claimed. I met Ammon, Chris, and Jeffrey in the Hermes Cabin. We were the younger kids so we always got put together. Ammon and I instantly connected; over science, sword dueling, and our intelligence. Chris and Jeffrey were annoying and kept trying to befriend us. When we finally got claimed, the fraternal twins in the Hecate cabin, Chris decided to kidnap me. When I woke up, I was about to get bonded to Kronos. Ammon came in, saved the day, got Chris put into solitary confinement, and then Jeffrey fled. Since then, we have been really close.  
"What are you thinking about?" Ammon asks, scaring me and bringing out of my thoughts. I smile at him.  
"My boyfriend."  
He kisses my temple.  
"You are beautiful."  
His wavy blonde hair is a tad messy but in that controlled chaos type of way. His tux is a simple black with a blue-green dress shirt underneath. It matches my eyes, I think with a smile.  
"And you look handsome. Now let's go get Diana and Aelix."  
We find them outside kissing as Ugene tries to get them to stop.  
"Come on bro; that's my sister! Get a room!" Ugene yells at them.  
I french braided her hair with green and purple ribbons in it, topped off with an emerald green headband.  
"Ugene, go get your date," Ammon tiredly calls. The creepy son of Dionysus takes out a pack of cigarettes, lights one, breathes smoke in and then breathes out through his nose.  
"My date and I are going to be fashionably late," he states.  
"Until then, go mind your own business!" Diana calls. She takes Aelix's hand and they walk towards us.  
"Don't you walk away from me little sister!" he furiously calls. Diana turns to face him.  
"I'm not going to let YOU take away my happiness. How about instead of finding please in taking it away from others and doing drugs, find some good, faithful friends."  
I see Diana squeeze Aelix's hand on the words 'happiness' and 'faithful'.  
"And Ugene; I'M OLDER THAN YOU!" she calls as we walk away.

Diana’s POV  
The dance is wonderful! There is a disco ball, a free canteen, Derrek as our DJ, and everyone is having a blast. Earlier Ajax challenged Ammon, Cole, and Aelix to a dance off, in which Cole won.  
Right now it is a slow dance. The swirl sparkles on Sandra's dress reflect and blend with the disco ball, as does the gem skull embroidered at the bottom of Joselyn's slick black strapless dress.  
The song Perfect by Hedley is playing. Looking around I see that almost everyone has someone to dance with. I spot Kacey and Mitchell kissing.  
They are adorable, I think before looking away.  
"Dae?" I look at Aelix.  
"Yes?"  
"You know that I love you and would never hurt you, right?" Aelix looks worried.  
"Yes I know."  
"And I can't live without you," Aelix has tears brimming in his eyes. "Dae...when I thought you were dead, I couldn't handle it. I was thinking about going through crazy measures to bring you back. Promise me that no matter how bad you want to, even if we aren't a couple anymore- which is unlikely," he flashes a smile," you will never stop fighting for your life. Never give up on what I hold most dear."  
Aelix and I are both crying at this point.  
"I promise."  
With that, Aelix dips me, placing his lips to mine.  
"I love you Diana Summers," Aelix breathes. He swings me up and brings me so close that I can feel his heart beating.  
"Aelix, I love you too," I tear up a bit more and am about to speak again, but Aelix interrupts by kissing me again. He kisses passionately and slightly aggressively. Naturally I match his aggression. When we part, I pout up at him playfully.  
"I had more to say," I inform him.  
"Just hearing you say you love me is enough."  
Suddenly Aelix looks uncomfortable.  
"Aelix, what's wrong?"  
"I have to pee- be right back.  
He takes off, zipping through the crowd, leaving me alone as the song ends.  
As soon as Aelix is out of sight, I feel a tap on my shoulder. When I turn around I am greeted by Martin and a guy he is holding hands with.  
"Hi Martin and Martin's friend," I greet.  
Wasn't Martin going to introduce me to his date? I think.  
"Where is your date?" I ask.  
"You're looking at him!" says the guy. He holds out his hand to shake.  
"Mark Ascherio, Son of Aphrodite. I helped do up your wardrobe when you first came to camp."  
I shake his hand whilst take the chance to look at him. Mark has a buzz cut, dark brown hair, vibrant blue eyes, and tanned skin. He is wearing a black tux with a rainbow tie, his converse matching his tie. He is built like an ox.  
"So how did you meet?" I ask. Martin looks like he just shit himself.  
"Well, we have combat training together. He was struggling with his weapon so I helped him. We hung out a few times after that, and then figured out that we just started dating. It's been two weeks!"  
I smile.  
"Mark, may I talk to you for a second?" I demand more than ask.  
"Sure thi-"  
I grab him by the tie and toe him out of the building. I get right up into his face, which is a challenge seeing that he is six feet tall.  
"If you hurt him, I WILL come after you personally. If I disprove of any activity you shall not do it. I can and will pummel you to a pulp if I feel it is necessary; clear?!" I harshly whisper. Mark nods and gulps.  
"Loud and clear ma'am."  
I let go of his tie and straighten up.  
"Good... Now go have fun!" I say in a cheery tone. Mark hugs me before swaggering back into the dance, leaving me in shock. My phone buzzing in my pocket brings me out of shock.

Meet me at the clearing in the woods :)  
Aelix

I giggle and take off my pumps before running to meet Aelix.  
The clearing is dark and eerie. The slight lighting makes the branches look curled and out to get me. I can't see past the first part of the tree line, and the ground is dry. Aelix isn't in my view.  
Maybe he texted from the bathroom?  
I decide to sit on the stump in the middle of the clearing. Every noise makes my paranoia levels rise. An owl hoots.  
Suddenly, arms grab me; one over my mouth, another around my waist. Caught by surprise, I am late to react. My captor pulls me to the ground, succeeds, and pins me down. With one hand they hold my wrists, the other clasped over my mouth.  
"There much more...pleasurable things I'd rather be doing with you on your back like this..."  
I know that voice and it isn't Aelix.  
"Little sister is going for a little ride, but unfortunately you won't enjoy it."  
Ugene places a cloth over my nose and mouth. I take in a breath beforehand, but it doesn't work. Ugene knees me in the torso, forcing all the air out of my lungs. The powder enters my mouth and nose. I cough and take deep breaths. Doesn't help; I'm just taking more of the drug in. The more powder in my system, the heavier I feel. My arms and legs turn into lead, my head spinning. My eyes start getting too heavy to hold up. The last thing I remember before the blackness is Ugene picking me up easily, bridal style, and another familiar voice saying:  
"Excellent job, Ugene!"  
The End


End file.
